Stuck
by 80sUnLoveChild
Summary: Jackie hasn't been herself lately, and no one noticed... so why do they all care now? AU s8
1. Falling Apart

**DISCLAIMER: I am not actually a Carsey or a Werner and have no affiliations with the Dumbasses at Fox. This is purely from my mind for my and other like minded individuals entertainment. **

**PS- This is for any fellow Melburnian feeling the heat and dying!! Get ready for another scorcher 2moro!!**

Jackie was propped up on the couch her small frame slouched into the overstuffed cushions, her sandals lay with her bag on the floor her feet stretched out in front of her on the old wooden spool, her pink toe nails shiny in the gloominess of the basement. For once it was empty, the TV was off, the only sound coming from the record player near the door. Michael was in Chicago, Fez was with him meeting playboy bunnies, Eric was in Africa and Jackie hadn't seen Donna in weeks. It was growing dark outside and she didn't want to go home, to the apartment that smelled like candy and was for shiny, happy people, Jackie was no longer one of those people.

The music swilled around her and she closed her eyes, she was cold, but it wasn't from the weather. The stomp of boots down the stairs shattered her solitude and she jumped for the record player barely able to pull the needle away before the door was thrown open and the subject of her thoughts brushed past her muttering obscenities under his breath. The air around him was stale like cigarettes and he had lines in his forehead that seemed permanent, like the scowl he now wore as much as his glasses.

"What are you doing here?"

There was no malice in his voice, just mere surprise. She shrugged her shoulders trying to hide her face from him as she bent over reaching for her sandals, her hair forming a perfect shield between them.

"I didn't realize I needed a reason to hang out in the same place I have for the last six years. My mistake" She glanced involuntarily at Hyde's stony eyes, the once bright blue now a perpetually faded grey.

"I've been making those a lot lately."

Her mouth snapped shut as she closed her eyes, cursing herself inwardly for saying more than she had to, leaving herself open for the burn that was sure to come. But he said nothing, instead staring at the record player, the black disc still spinning around slowly. She tried to let her face stay neutral as he fingered the needle pulling it down into the groove letting the music begin once more. She wanted to leave, to run, just get the hell away from him but she couldn't, her feet were stuck in place as her voice boomed out across the basement. Jackie cringed; she had never wanted Steven to hear this, to know.

"_I'm having the day from hell_

_It was going so well (before you came)_

_And you told me you needed space_

_With a kiss on the side my face (not again)_

_And not to mention (the tears of shame)_

_I should have kicked your (ass in stead)_

_I need intervention_

_Attention, to stop temptation to scream"_

She stared fixed at the spinning record not wanting to look at her ex and see what she feared. What would be worse; anger or nothing? If he was angry at least then she could tell herself he still cared in some small way.

"_Cause baby, everything is effed up_

_Straight from the heart_

_Tell me what do; you do when it all falls apart_

_Gotta pick myself up_

_Where do I start?_

_Cause I can't turn to you when it all falls apart_

_Don't know where I parked my car_

_Don't know who my real friends are (anymore)_

_I put my faith in you_

_What a stupid thing to do (When it rains it pours)_

_And not to mention (I drunk too much)_

_I'm feeling hung-over (and out of touch)_

_I need intervention_

_Attention, to stop temptation to scream"_

From behind his glasses Hyde studied the shrinking brunette who seemed to be slowly retreating even further into herself. He recognized the pain in the voice that was filling every inch of the basement, a voice he professed to hate, to despise, that he hadn't heard in a while. He hadn't seen her down here in weeks, hadn't seen her in weeks period.

"_Cause baby, everything is effed up_

_Straight from the heart_

_Tell me what do; you do when it all falls apart_

_Gotta pick myself up, where do I start?_

_Cause I can't turn to you when it all falls apart_

_Noooo_

_Can it be easier?_

_Can I just change my life?_

_Cause it just seems to go bad every time_

_Will I be mending?_

_Another one ending once again_

_Everything is effed up straight from the heart_

_Tell me what do you do when it all falls apart_

_Gotta pick myself up where do I start_

_Cause I can't turn to you when it all falls apart"_

He stayed next to the record player pulling the needle away before the next song could begin his face as cold as ever. Jackie's legs were wobbly and she felt herself fall to the couch, her head bowed down, a small amount of guilt building inside.

"I never meant for you to hear that."

Her voice came out stronger than she thought she was capable of and she allowed herself to look up and into his face. It had been an innocent comment, but for some reason it made his blood boil.

"So you chose to listen to it in the one place we all visit barring death?"

Ok so he was pissed, no amount of Zen could disguise the hard fiber of anger in his voice and the unconscious clench of his hands into fists by his sides.

"No, I just…I didn't think anyone would be here"

Jackie stood up, some of her confidence returning long enough for her to yell back at him.

"Grooves doesn't even close for another hour and you always close out on Tuesdays. Fez and Kelso are in Chicago and its night time so I figured your wife was uh, slutting it up on a street corner and the lights were on in Donna's room, so I thought it was safe to come down here. Don't worry it wont happen again." Her bag slung over her shoulder she reached for the record, stopped only by his hand coming down on hers. She wanted to jerk it away but the feeling of his skin on hers was too familiar, too right.

"Leave it"

Her insides churned and she felt bile beginning to rise in her throat. His eyebrow was raised at her, the tiniest hint of a smile curling at the left side of his mouth; he was taunting her; challenging her. Fighting herself to not show how much this was killing her she shrugged once more feigning indifference, moving the needle with shaky fingers ignoring the eyes she felt scrutinizing her every move.

"_I know I can be a little stubborn sometimes_

_A little righteous and too proud"_

A small bark of laughter escaped from Hyde's lips and Jackie felt her face flush with crimson annoyed at herself that he could still bring out any kind of response in her; conscious or not.

"_I just want to find a way to compromise_

_Cause I believe that we can work things out_

_I thought I had all the answers_

_Never giving in_

_But baby since you've gone_

_I'll admit that I was wrong_

_Oh, all I know is I'm lost without you_

_I'm not gonna lie_

_How am I going to be strong without you?_

_I need you by my side_

_If we ever said we'd never be together_

_And we ended it with goodbye_

_Don't know what I'd do  
I'm lost without you"_

Hyde stood defiantly in front of the door cutting off Jackie's exit. Listening to the songs she had written over the last few months by herself was therapy, listening to it with the songs subject was torture. As her voice sang out each word she waited for him to laugh, or smirk or insult her, but nothing ever came._  
_

_  
I keep trying to find my way  
And all I know is I'm lost without you  
I keep trying to face the day  
I'm lost without you_

How am I ever gonna get rid of these blues  
Baby I'm so lonely all the time  
Everywhere I go I get so confused  
You're the only thing that's on my mind

Oh my bed so cold at night  
And I miss you more each day  
Only you can make it right  
No I'm not too proud to say

All I know is I'm lost without you  
I'm not gonna lie  
How am I gonna be strong without you  
I need you by my side  
If we ever said we'd never be together  
And we ended it with goodbye  
Don't know what I'd do  
I'm lost without you"  


She glanced behind her to the stairs that led to the kitchen; she didn't trust herself to make it there without collapsing in a heap, months of not sleeping and barely eating taking their toll. She couldn't stand to be here, watch as she crashed and burned yet again at the hands of Steven J. Hyde.

_  
"I keep trying to find my way  
And all I know is I'm lost without you  
I keep trying to face the day  
I'm lost without you_

If I could only hold you now  
Make the pain just go away  
Can't stop the tears from running down my face (oh)

All I know is I'm lost without you  
I'm not gonna lie  
How am I gonna be strong without you  
I need you by my side  
If we ever said we'd never be together  
And we ended it with goodbye  
Don't know what I'd do  
I'm lost without you

I keep trying to find my way  
But all I know is I'm lost without you  
I keep trying to face the day  
And all I find is  
I'm lost without your love  
I keep trying to find my way  
And all I know is  
I'm lost without you (oh)  
I'm lost without you"

Hyde remained stoic, a tribute to Rodin's _Thinker_ as the next song began, three in all, recorded using Pastor Dave's equipment after she had cried for ten minutes straight, her bottom lip quivering in a way that had assured her victory. She wished he would move, blink anything, anything besides staying silent and ignoring her, this was her soul laid bore and still he had nothing to say, not one flicker of emotion to show. At least not on the surface, because with each beat, each word, a small piece of the lock in the back of his mind fell apart.

"_I've been watching you and all you do_

_For quite sometime_

_Knowing all the ins and outs of you_

_Should have known what was on your mind_

_But all the world is spinning round and round_

_Inside my head tonight_

_I will fall into the darkness_

_And I fear I will never see the light_

_I've been watching you and all you do_

_For quite sometime_

_Knowing all the ins and outs of you_

_Should have known what was on your mind_

_But all the world is spinning round and round_

_Inside my head tonight_

_I will fall into the darkness_

_And I fear I will never see the light_

_The light_

_So let me in_

_All that I wanted from you_

_Was something you'd never do_

_So let me in_

_Oh please tonight_

_Don't let this end_

_Tonight_

_I'll fall"_

The last track played on and the bile Jackie had tried to fight made its way up, she dove for the bin, gagging several times but never actually vomiting, her breathing becoming irregular. She felt herself succumb to the blackness pulling at her eyes as her own voice sang out to her betraying everything she had never said and was never meant to be heard.

"_Through the light the darkness seems to be_

_So very strong_

_How does one alone against the world_

_Find the strength to carry on?_

_What happened to the way we used to love?_

_It seemed as though life had just began_

_But now that love has come and gone_

_Life has faded away_

_Like a setting sun_

_Cause you won't let me in_

_All that I wanted from you_

_Was something you'd never do_

_So let me in_

_Oh please tonight_

_Don't let this end_

_Tonight_

_Cause I'm starting to fall_

_So let me in_

_It was all that I wanted from you_

_It was something you never knew_

_So let me in_

_But not tonight_

_For this is the end_

_Tonight I fall"_

They came hurtling back so fast he thought he felt physical pain, everything he repressed now pulled at him, at his fingers, his toes, his lips. He was broken, his eyes closed, only opening at the strangled noises of the petite girl dry heaving. He watched in a trance as she collapsed, her red lips plump, her hair dark making her normally olive skin sickly pallid; Snow White with no Prince Charming.

***

Her hair was matted in sweaty clumps that stuck to her face and bare shoulders; the dress she had been wearing was now draped over the end of the bed she was in. Her face still felt hot but whether that was due to illness or the fact she was dressed in nothing but pink lace underwear remained to be seen. The room was cramped and dark, her hands fumbling for some kind of light, knocked over books, lighters and assorted junk in its way. The lamp lit the room dimly enough for her to recognize she was in Hyde's old room in the basement, as dank and depressing as always. A glass of water dripping with condensation sat next to the lamp which she gladly downed with the aspirin that was next to it. Her head felt like it had been hit with a sledgehammer and she sank back down into the cot, wanting to but unable to find the energy to leave.

***

Red was glaring at him. He could feel it each time he reached for the potatoes and picked up his knife to slice through his steak. Just like he could feel the slight wave of air each time Mrs. Forman whipped her head between her husband and surrogate son. He could feel all these things; in fact he felt a lot of things but that didn't mean he had to acknowledge it, why start now?

"How are things at the Muffler shop Red?"

Small talk, he wasn't personally a fan but at times it was necessary, like when avoiding tense silence that had the potential to turn into a lecture.

"Dumbasses wreck their mufflers, we fix 'em."

Hyde nodded chewing especially carefully on his carrots while Red continued his fixed stare on him, Kitty laughing slightly at the obvious strain in the room.

"How's the wife?"

The taboo subject; the elephant in the room, the one question that was to be avoided at all costs, Kitty's fork clattered against her plate and she breathed in sharply looking at her husband in anger. Standing she grabbed the plates ignoring the startled cries of the two males.

"Now that is Steven's business, his mistakes are for him to realize." They smashed together loudly as she dumped them in the sink "I expect this kitchen to be clean when I've finished my Bloody Mary."

The door swung shut behind her and Hyde stared down at the table, his appetite waning as he thought of the lecture Red was sure to be gearing up to.

"I wash, you dry."

They worked in silence for a few minutes, the splash of water hitting them both as Red handled the dishes roughly scraping at them with the sponge before smacking it to Hyde's chest.

"Remember when I told you to pull your head out of your ass?"

"Yeah I always figured if I did you'd just stick your foot there instead"

"Nobody like a smart mouth on a dumbass. These last few months have been hellish, I slept better in Korea waiting for a Commie to slash my throat. All the while you and that stripper have done God only knows under my roof. You've had Kitty at the church every day praying for your immortal soul when we both know you lost that damn thing long before you ever ended up in Vegas."

Hyde snickered to himself drying the last plate as Red let the water out of the sink and went to the fridge to pull out two beers. His chair scraped back loudly, creaking when he settled his weight on it. His eyes staying trained on Hyde's shielded ones he held out one of the beers.

"I think it's safe to say I don't like kids. Hell it took nearly twenty years for me to warm up to Eric. But Kitty loves you dumbasses as if you were her own, especially the girls."

Hyde played with the bottle cap not wanting to look up and see the disappointment he was sure was lining Red's face.

"She was at the church gasbagging with all the other busybodies when she heard something; the loud one has been in that Church basement every night for the past month, crying her eyes out over you. Apparently they set up some kind of video surveillance after the Pastor was left tied up one Christmas. And Madge Wilkins found it all on tape."

Red pretended not to notice the small smile that came across Hyde's lips concentrating instead on the slight shadow beneath the living room door knowing full well that his wife was hunched next to it listening to every word they exchanged.

"I promised Kitty I would give you three months to sort yourself out. Take a good look at your life son, and ask yourself if this is what you really want."

He patted Steven's shoulder a few times before walking towards the living room pausing in the doorway.

"And sort things out with the Burkhardt girl, she's had enough people walk out on her already without you adding to the list. You're better than that son."

The door swung a few times before staying closed while Hyde nursed his beer trying desperately to think of something other than the girl passed out in his bed.

***

Donna was in her room, her radio tuned to the station she worked at as she wrote yet another letter to Eric. Another letter filled with stupid lies and false sentiments. Somehow she couldn't find it within herself to actually tell Eric what was really going on in good ole Point Place, Wisconsin. That she spent her days hanging out with Hyde and his new coworker Randy or cruising around Point Place with Sam. She didn't want to tell him that she couldn't remember the last real conversation she had had with Jackie her supposed best friend, or had talked to Hyde without his fist strangling the neck of a beer bottle, or a cloud of smoke hanging around his head. When had everything gone to hell; the un-wedding? Africa? She didn't know, but life was this now and like The Easybeats said; I made my bed now I'm gonna lie in it. She folded the letter carefully making sure none of the tears that dripped down her face splashed on the paper as she pushed it into the envelope. Walking down stairs she went to the mailbox placing it inside and pushing the small flag up, staring out into the night not really noticing the light summer rain that began to fall around her.

"Come back soon Eric, we need you more than you know."

***

Hyde had finished his beer having tended to it for well over an hour before retiring back to the basement, Jackie was still asleep but the water and aspirin he had left beside her were gone. She had kicked the blankets off her and goose bumps covered her naked flesh. He stared at her greedily wanting to tear his eyes away but finding himself unwilling to. Her eyes scrunched up and a low muttering broke his stillness and he grabbed the empty glass. Looking down at her once more he walked quietly to the door trying to ignore her whimpers and choked breaths. His hand was on the doorknob when her voice became clearer. His stomach dropped as he waited for her to yell at him.

"Don't. Only me. Sorry, didn't mean it. No. Hurts."

His eyes trailed over her as she shook in his bed, her body seeming to spasm. He reversed his path pulling the blanket over her before crouching as he ran a finger up her sticky arm coaxing her awake. She trembled as her eyes blinked taking him in.

"Steven?"

Her voice was hoarse and her eyes unsure.

"You were having a bad dream."

Standing up he walked briskly from the room before she could say another word, not wanting to hear what he was sure she would say, he had heard enough already.

***

Her legs were wobbly as she fumbled for her dress, the light cotton clinging to her skin; she stumbled, grabbing the walls to help her escape the bedroom prison. She leant against the boxes as she stared out into the basement her brain slowly taking in the furniture. Pressing forward she gripped at the stairs pulling herself up before she felt her eyes close once more and she fell the pain of the stairs jutting into her barely registering as she settled in a heap. She was stuck somewhere between awake and asleep, she could feel the cool fingertips brushing the hair from her face and picking her up. She could hear the muffled shouts and breeze from the open door but she couldn't move, couldn't open her eyes or speak, she was stuck.

***

**And so that was the first chapter of my new story **_**Stuck**_**. Hope you enjoyed this, if you want more please let me know, while it's great that I know people are reading my stuff, a little shameless flattery does wonder for my ego and typing ; )**

**A/N: The songs used here are:**

_The Veronicas_ When It All Falls Apart

_Delta Goodrem_ Lost Without You

_Save Ferris_Let Me In

Music plays a massive role in my life; I love to write (can you tell?) and I keep notebooks, I have a diary, a scrap book, a random thoughts journal and one in which I write down the lyrics to songs that I feel are speaking to me in the moment. Certain songs can make me revert to different places in time. These lyrics remind me of JH and so I wanted to include them. If you don't know them you should definitely download them because they are so brilliant.


	2. Giving Up

**DISCLAIMER: I have no affiliations with the Fox Network nor would I admit to if I did. My surname is neither Carsey nor Werner and this is purely for other That 70s Show fans who hated what become of the show. **

**Ch2…**

*******

There was a pounding in her ears, like she was listening to a conversation from under water. She could wiggle her toes and clench her fists, on second thought maybe she would leave her hand flat, her head lolled to the side, feeling very much like a watermelon to her toothpick neck. Her eyelids could only open slightly, not that it mattered much her vision barely there. Colours swam in front of her before making solid shapes, her hand was pale, the blue veins especially vivid feeding into a needle, well that explains the tenderness of her hand. Her head seemed too big to move, she could see some empty chairs and a window from where she lay, the scratchy blanket covering her legs the big clue as to where she was. _Hospital._ Oh well, it was only a matter of time before she found her way there. Her mouth was dry, like someone had stuffed it full of cotton wool, the jug of water on the side table a cruel tease. She pushed at the large red button that lay next to her, her movement slow and clumsy, her voice had disappeared, and making no more sounds a few raspy wheezes. More white entered her vision, a nurse who wore far too much eye shadow, a lurid green. She wanted to ask for water or gesture to it but it all felt like too much. Despite outward appearances, the nurse seemed competent, helping the small girl up and holding the glass for her to drink from.

"Welcome back Jackie. You had Nurse Forman climbing the walls around here!" Her laughter was grating, like the whine of a drill. Her poor head couldn't take the sound.

"Where is she?" Of course it came out more like "Whm fh shhh?" But again the nurse seemed to understand her.

"She left about an hour ago, yelling at the cafeteria staff about the devil. She said she'd be back by four."

She tried moving her head to look for a clock, sighing in frustration at the energy it took. It was almost four, she wondered how long she had been asleep, the last thing she remembered was the basement. She wasn't entirely sure she wanted to know the rest.

***

Seventy two hours was a long time to go without sleep, but like he was fond of saying, Hyde wasn't like most people. His eyes were bloodshot, his fingers cramped into his palms, his face was sagging, even his hair seemed angled at the ground. Everything about him seemed desolate, even Sam had kept away from him. He had moved from his chair, to the bathroom, to the kitchen, never very far. Kitty had been between here and the hospital spending most of her time crying or baking, Jackie better be hungry when she wakes up. Kitty was a wreck, Red was angry although underneath it was a pang of sadness, Hyde knew better than anyone that Jackie had wormed her way into his heart, it had happened to him too. Even Kelso and Fez had rushed back abandoning the playboy bunnies, they had sat with him a while but had eventually left, everyone does. Donna had come past too, her eyes puffy from the tears, she was the only one who had evoked any kind of reaction from him.

"Why aren't you at the hospital?"

It had been a simple question, it was not meant to shred his insides like glass.

"Why aren't you? I'm her bastard ex, you're supposed to be her best friend, but I guess you haven't been that for a while." His voice hadn't even sounded like his own, it sounded like…Edna. The formerly hard headed feminist had choked back a sob, her eyes pleading with Hyde until she too left. So here he was alone, in the darkness. There should be a song for this.

***

The nurse's station was the equivalent to the office water cooler, if you wanted gossip it was the place to be. Kitty Forman, or Nurse Forman while at work could usually be found there telling all from the rash the Mayor had come in with to Christine St. George's latest sexcapade gone wrong. There was only one rule; what was found out in the hospital never left the hospital, until now.

"No it's true, Dr. Evans ran her blood work and her potassium level is practically nonexistent! And did you see the bruises on her legs? It's so pathetic what some girls will be stay thin!" The nurse giggled flipping her badly imitated Farrah Fawcett hair to the side, the ends brushing against Kitty Forman. Beside her stood her husband whose face was pursed in anger, he sat the plastic containers down on the desk with a clatter letting the young woman know he was there, and not happy. She turned around, fake smile firmly set on her face,

"Nurse Forman! We were just going to call you, Miss Burkhardt has been asking for you!" The innocent smile and flutter of eyelashes fooled no-one, especially not someone who had access to your medical file.

"Thank you Nurse Stevenson, Dr. Alpert was looking for you earlier, another sexual harassment suit has been filed against you." Kitty laughed, her fingers clutching the younger woman's arm. "For heaven's sake, Tracey he was fifteen years old!"

The ebony skin of the nurse flushed scarlet, the other nurses staring at her in amusement. Her long her trailing behind her she left hastily for the Chef of Medicine's hospital; this was her third strike. Red smiled proudly as the nurse bid a hasty retreat at the hands of his wife; she could use the truth to inflict pain, guilt and sorrow like no other. One of the other nurses gave Kitty Jackie's chart as they gravitated to her room, discussing the result of the blood and urine work with her which Red tuned out. He wasn't here to learn about the inner working of Jackie's body, he was here to make sure she wasn't alone, it's not like she had a father to make sure none of the doctors didn't take advantage of her. Kitty squeezed the girl tightly, admonishing her for not coming to her sooner if she had problems, Jackie merely nodded a few times, she didn't look capable of anything else.

"Kitty, leave the poor girl alone, she's not Eric, she can take care of herself!" His wife spun around, her arms leaving Jackie to rest on her hips.

"Well obviously she can't Red Forman or else she wouldn't be in here hooked up to monitors with a drip in her arm!" She had stumbled over the words, tears choking them, a hacking sob tacked onto the end. Jackie had wanted to reach over and comfort Mrs. Forman, it wasn't her fault she was in hospital, the blame remained firmly on someone else's shoulders, her own.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to get this bad." Her voice still raspy despite the deliciously cool water she had greedily drank. The lines around Mrs. Forman's eyes deepened, and the vein in Mr. Forman's forehead began to throb, funny it usually only did that in the presence of Eric, Fez or Kelso, sometimes all three.

"What do you mean sweetheart. Were you trying to make yourself sick?" Her voice was no longer the warm motherly voice it usually was but now the gentler, concerned voice of a nurse needing answers.

"No, it's just I'm so tired, it's like every morning I wake up and I'm disappointed, I don't even want to be there to face the day. What's the point? No one would even notice that I'm not there, they wouldn't notice if I just stopped being. It's been months and it still hurts, I can't remember what anything else feels like."

Kitty's hands were clasped in front of her, white from the pressure of it, tears brimming her eyes, while Jackie's looked vacant. She sounded so monotonous; there was no sign of the vibrant girl that had begged her to teach her to bake just a year before.

"Oh honey" Kitty pulled the petite girl to her, motioning for Red to do something. Placing the container full of her favourite food on the scratchy wool blanket Red walked around to stand opposite Kitty.

"Jackie I know you haven't had it easy, how you haven't become your mother just shows how strong you are." Kitty levelled him with a glare; this was obviously not what she had meant. "You're young; you're smarter than all the kettle heads who see fit to wonder through my house combined. You can't just let yourself give up, we won't let you- you didn't for the last eight years and you're not now. What happened to the girl who made grown men cry?"

Jackie smiled sadly at Mr. Forman, trying so hard to find the words to make her feel…something.

"She gave up; everybody else had already given up on her."

Her eyes were not shiny with tears and her words had no infliction of sadness, it wasn't much but it was all he could give, he placed his hand on her smaller one, patting it assuredly. What scared him most were not her words, but the utter conviction with which she said it.

***

His luck had run out sometime after five. He had worked out that he should probably shower and shave when even Schotzie ran away from him; something that licked its own butt. He had been looking through his clothes for something that didn't reek of pot and beer clad only in a towel when Sam had come in dressed in tiny cargo shorts with matching top. It was Uncle Sam Theme week at the Scarlet Lady.

"Hey baby, work was the worst; Karlie lost the flag she uses in her salute to the navy and the boss made me do my taps routine four times. Could you rub my feet?" She said all this in a long drawn out way, the last few words taking on a babyish sound. It grated on him.

"No"

Still clad only in a towel he gathered his clothes to dump them in the washer, for once the smell of marijuana, incense and beer did little to soothe him. Sam having not taken the hint followed after to him, standing in front of him, one hip jutted out, scowling.

"Hyde I'm bored, let's go out dancing!"

He grunted a reply, he was cold, he was wet and if she didn't shut up he would seriously reconsider his stance on hitting women, between her dyed hair, fake boobs and nails, her gender was just about the only thing he was positive was real.

"I'm not a pig, you can't just grunt at me!"

His wallet lay on the table, a few crumpled bills folded into it. Leaning forward he tucked one into her waistband before waving her away. She stood there glaring at him while he stared through her.

"Enjoy the couch!"

The door slammed and the sound of things being thrown around filled the basement. His fingers itched to be feeling something, the softness of a rolling paper or the smoothness that came from the beer bottle. Even the wiriness of the towel reminded him of something it shouldn't. Sam was muttering loudly, scant words coming through. A good husband would go and talk to her, a good husband would care, his luck was back; he never claimed to be a good husband, hell he never claimed to be one at all.

***

How had this become her life? She was sitting on the lone chair in the room; if possible it had grown even danker in the last few months.

"He acts like I'm a hooker, excuse me I have morals!"

Sam had been complaining about Hyde for the last hour, Donna was meant to meet Fez and Kelso here at seven before heading over to the hospital; strength in numbers. The door behind her had just begun to close when Sam had grabbed her wrists and pulled her into the small room in the back of the basement.

"Well did you ever think given that taking your clothes off for money **might** have made your morals seem a little bit in the grey area?"

The blonde stripper gasped, her mouth falling open showing off her molars.

"First my husband and now my best friend, what is with you guys?" She huffed, her hair falling around her flushed face, red from indignation. Donna felt a stab of guilt; this was her friend, something that was in seriously low supply lately; Eric in Africa, Kelso in Chicago and now Jackie in hospital.

"Sorry Sam, I guess I'm just a little shaken up about Jackie."

The weight of the mattress shifted as the blonde stripper sat down, pushing her hair from her eyes Sam turned to Donna, her voice sickly sweet.

"What about Jackie?"

Donna gulped, she felt like Eric; always saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, it was like her very own sexually transmitted disease; foot-in-mouth disease. Hyde hadn't told Sam about Jackie, why was she surprised? It wasn't so long ago that Hyde had inadvertently confessed to wanting to propose to the brunette pixie. Sam was still staring at her expectantly, her pink lip gloss caking in the sides of her mouth, which was forming her name, repeatedly. Donna couldn't hear her, her mind spinning wildly as little things fell into place, moments over the last few weeks beginning to make sense. Hyde still loved Jackie. There was no way that this could turn out well.

***

Faith was never something she had ever really thought about, it was just there. Her parents weren't exactly the epitome of moral abiding people but the people the cleaned their house, kept their garden and made their food certainly were. Her first memory was in a church, she couldn't remember its name, only its smell; mothballs. The confessional booth was towards the back, a deep stained brown with carvings in it, easily the most beautiful thing she had seen in her three years. The long maroon brocade stroked the floor, its tassels teasing across the scuffed wood. Jackie had crawled into the small box with a bench and curled up under it while Rosa had been busy setting up refreshments on the lawn, she hadn't cared that her carefully ironed dress was becoming covered in dust or that her hair was falling from their tight braids, all she had cared about was the comfort she found in the small space. She never thought that barely fifteen years later her faith would be gone, trampled on, set aflame and nothing more than a haze of smoke in the sky. She had prayed that first night in hospital, prayed that what she knew was coming could be averted; if God could make Jesus walk on water he could surely make this one little wish come true? Its funny, if Eric were here he would probably make some crack about how God wouldn't make a deal with the Devil, if only he could see the so-called devil now. The door to her room had a tell tale creak that alerted her to when she had visitors; she would complain but it made it easier to avoid them.

"Jackie honey you have some visitors at the front desk."

She could tell without opening her eyes that the nurse who was peaking around the door would be looking at her with anxious eyes, lines marring her forehead. She had only been awake for two days and refused to speak to any of the three visitors that showed up everyday. The nurse couldn't help but frown at the still girl, her face an iron mask. The only time she had glimpsed any kind of emotion was after she had bought in the flowers and teddy bear her friends had left at the reception, her eyes had flashed and her mouth set in a firm line before she swiftly ripped the bear in half and hurled the flowers across the room the cheerful yellow petals flying everywhere.

"The tall one keeps demanding to be let in, he's threatening to take the hospital hostage. Of course he's carrying a water pistol so security isn't very worried but still. Could you at least speak to one of them?"

Jackie could hear the hopefulness in her voice; she was just like Mrs. Forman; she had taken Jackie under her wing making sure she ate every meal and swallowed every pill in her paper cup. She would do this, if only for the older lady who would spend the next day with disapproval in her eyes if she didn't.

"Okay Mina, but only one! Fez, I'll see Fez but no one else!"

Mina came into the room fully rushing to help Jackie sit up, arranging the pillows around her; she was so small it was as though she were a child's doll with pride place on a bed. Reaching behind her neck she unclasped the thin gold chain that hung there and placed it in Jackie's hand curling the young girls fingers around it.

"I know you're only doing this so me and Kitty stop hassling you but I'm glad."

She disappeared out the door her footsteps blending in with the other soft soled ones of the hospital. Uncurling her fingers slowly Jackie stared into her palm and the small angel that lay there, its hand grasping a cloudy pink stone. She had never needed that missing faith more.

***

The door to the basement had been shut for precisely six seconds before Sam's screech filled the air, it didn't hit him like Jackie's had days earlier. That should have been important to him, but he barely noticed. Sam was screaming, the words running together with short hisses of breath.

"What the hell has your psychotic midget ex done now? And don't bother trying to shrug me off, I'm from Vegas honey, I worked for the Alligator, I don't give up easy."

A car accident, or maybe something less messy like poison, actually the method didn't matter the result would be the same; he was going to kill Donna.

"Why do you care Sam? Like you said she's my ex. MY, not yours. She's in hospital, how the hell does that affect you and your existence?"

Her frosted pink lips slapped shut into a pout, he had never yelled at her before; never shown any emotion more than a great delight in getting high and grabbing her in public.

"You can't speak to me that way! I mean hello, I am your wife?"

Hyde looked at her in amazement, right now he couldn't look at her without wanting to do something that would send him to the penitentiary in all 52 states. The key's to the El Camino dug into his palm,

"And I'm your husband, so I'll do what they do best."

Sam followed him up the stairs ignoring the chill in the air that had nothing to do with the weather.

"And what's that Hyde?"

The El Camino screeched as it tore out of the driveway leaving a sullen Sam in its wake.

"I'm waiting for an answer HYDE!"

***

Silence was hard to come by in his home, he had come to crave the sound of it; the sound of nothing at all. But sometime in the last few months he had missed the never-ending parade of noise his son and his friends filled the house with. He never thought he would miss the sound of furniture creaking and the basement door opening and closing at all hours of the night. The silence that filled his home now was not one of the good kinds, it was full of anger and despair and more than a little guilt. His son in every way that counts was in the basement now as dingy as the walls that surrounded him, Sam was asleep given her job was of the night variety and Kitty was in the lounge with her needles apparently the hospital issue blankets were not good enough for the girl. The garage was meant to be his solace from all of this; his very own place to sit and think about everything that happened; or hide from it with a beer and his old record player. He fingered the flash light lying on the bench, black with grease. It felt like a lifetime ago that that curly haired girl had listened with wide eyes as he explained the mechanics of an engine to her. She hadn't talked his ear off while they worked; her mouth only opening when she asked for a tool. Since then she had visited him on and off, she had an uncanny knack for finding him when she was about to burst into tears and like most men fell to complete pieces in the face of them.

"_Everybody else had already given up on her."_

Kitty hadn't bothered to choke back the sob the words caused her choosing instead to clutch the girl to her chest her tears mixing in with the raven locks. It was Jackie who had ended up comforting Kitty, thanking her for caring and being there when no one else was. Red had left his hand on her shoulder pretending not to notice the sharp bump of bone digging into his palm, when he felt Jackie's shoulders begin to sag he pulled his wife away his eyes now steely.

"It goes against all the laws of psychics!" Kelso's loud voice travelled over the chugging of the Vista Cruiser as it pulled into the driveway, inches from where Red stood. Donna was ignoring the idiot from what Red observed, she had jumped from the car when the brake was pulled and disappeared through the shrubs to her own house.

"She wanted to see Fez! If anything would cheer up Jackie it would be the opportunity to gaze upon my lovely face, right Red?"

He was completely oblivious to look of utter lividity on the older man's face, one usual reserved for Commies, Democrats and his daughter's boyfriends.

"Kelso, sit down we need to talk." The look of terror that filled the boys face almost brought a smile to his face, almost.

***

**Thanks for reading everyone who took the time to review the previous chapter, it was great! I'm currently refined to bed with what my Doc called- a serious back problem- actually he used big scientific words, but I can't remember let alone spell them. So hopefully I'll be able to post another chapter within a week....hopefully…**


	3. Hiding Out

**DISCLAIMER: I'm still a broke as anything former teenager with no affiliation with Carsey-Werner, Fox etc.**

**Ch3…**

***

There's this funny thing about expectations, even when you know they're coming; have almost one hundred percent certainty that it is going to happen you still feel crushed when it does. We all know the old saying; hope for the best but expect the worst? How come what you think of as worst is always better than what actually happens? She had been pulled out of the basement by Kelso and Fez, eager to see Jackie at the hospital, at the time she had been grateful, leaving Hyde to tell Sam about the situation with Jackie just like he should have days ago. Her euphoria lasted until the basement door had slammed shut behind her, then she remembered. Kelso had filled the car with his usual brand of conversation; girls, firecrackers and dogs- in that order, at least on the drive there Fez had been around to hang on his every word. The drive home following Jackie's rejection had been excruciating with Kelso's indignation at being overlooked for his little buddy. Her pen scraped against the paper, words pouring out into her journal, anger and hurt, but mostly hurt, it made her sick.

"Honey? A letter came in the mail for you today; at least I think it's for you it's addressed to Donna, my darling rebel princess?" The envelope was crumpled and stained with what she hoped was dirt but had the rusted brown colour one associated with blood.

"Thanks Dad."

The thin envelope felt heavy in her hands, her Dad watching her as she turned it over in her palm.

"Is it from Eric? He said he'd send me an African Voodoo mask!"

Donna waved the envelope towards her father a scowl firmly fixed on her face.

"I don't think it's in here." Bob laughed turning back towards the door leaving her alone once again. She glanced back down at the envelope and Eric's messy scrawl; it was like a punch to the gut, the o's in her name forming judgemental eyes. Her fingers cramped as she pulled the paper out, line after line of black ink filling her vision.

_Dear Donna, _

_Somebody should have warned me that in Africa mosquitos out number the people 100 to 1, I now have more bites on my legs that I have hairs. Teaching has been going great, last week I taught the kids how to burn each other, we made a stupid helmet out of some old supplies and it has been put to good use; Kelso would be proud. How's the gang going? Hyde still with 'that filthy harlot'? As far as burns go that's pretty funny but its been months and Mum still answers every call in tears over the horror and shame. Hows the devil doing with all of this? Red told me about Pam and everything with her Dad, it can't be easy but she's got you there to help her…_

Donna didn't bother reading the rest, the guilt that she had been pushing down for the last few days coming back up at warp speed; what the hell has been going on?

***

Three days and she still wouldn't leave his mind, her words echoing in its vast nothingness; the record she had made was hidden away in Grooves in the safe where no one would find it, no one even knew there was a safe there. That helped. He didn't want to talk about his feelings, he didn't want to talk about Jackie or think about how she was laid up in bed with tubes coming in and out of her. This was why he refused to sleep, to succumb to the darkness that would inevitably engulf him and show him nothing but her, remind him of nothing but her. Of the way her shoulder blades had jutted out when he had scooped her up, and how her usually glossy hair felt wiry. He didn't want to sit down somewhere and think about how hollow her eyes had looked and how despite the fact that the girl he had seen three days ago had Jackie's face and Jackie's body, but she wasn't Jackie. He didn't want any of these things, but he never did get what he wanted. Maybe that was why in his haze he had driven here, to this spot. He was lucky he hadn't caused any accidents, his senses not exactly sharp at present time. Even though her perfume should have been cancelled out by smoke, sweat and greasy food, the inside of the car somehow still smelt of vanilla and strawberries, it was suffocating. Even the pine smell of the clearing made him feel ill, in the back of his mind he could hear his conscience; or Mrs. Forman as he called her telling him what exactly it was he was feeling. She had a knack for that. It's funny; right now he could feel the wound from the gun she had shot him with on Veteran's day, even if it was pretend. He felt guilty, he'll admit to it if it would make everything go away, go back to normal. But then again, what's so great about normal? Right now normal would be him married to Sam treating Jackie like dirt, it didn't seem like the best alternative.

"Damn it!"

That felt good, although his foot throbbed from where he had kicked the tree, bark raining down. At eye level were markings, thick in the wood. His fingers traced them without his brain even comprehending what he was doing; it was off somewhere else, roughly six months ago.

"_Jackie I'm not dancing with you! I took you on this damn picnic, I let your listen to Peter fucking Frampton and I wore a friggin tie!" _

_His voice was gruff and his words seemingly harsh but Jackie barely heard them, there was no real anger there, his tone had barely any heat but more of a slight pleading, he really didn't want to do this. She could have pouted, walked forward slowly, bringing her hands up around his neck and called him Puddin' Pop but she didn't want to. She was too busy staring at him, sunglasses safely hidden away in the car his blue eyes firmly latched on her own. _

"_Okay." _

"_Damn it Jackie! I said-" _

_Her giggles cut him off and he smirked tugging on her skirt so that she fell into his lap next to the remnants of their picnic that he had made. Her hair tickled his neck and he shuddered. _

"_You don't have to dance." Her breath hit his face and he breathed in, she was his favourite smell. Before he could lean in she had bounced back up from his lap and over to one of the large trees that overlooked the clearing. He watched her in bemusement wandering what she was doing now. The flick of the knife and the glint from its blade sprung him into action. _

"_What the hell are you doing?" _

_His hands went to his pockets feeling frantically for the army knife he usually kept stashed there, she just giggled still digging into the wood with it, biting her tongue in concentration._

"_You swiped that from me?" _

_The blade disappeared back into the hilt as she stepped back to admire her handiwork, a heart with their initials and one word; always. Coming up behind her, his chin falling onto her shoulder, his arms folding around her waist she shrugged casually. Turning so his lips brushed her ear he whispered,_

"_That is so badass!" _

_He had her twirled around and backed up against the tree in seconds, her legs naturally coming up around his middle, using his left hand to push the hair from her face, his right came up to the newly carved tree, fingering the letters carefully. Her own hands were wrapped around his neck playing with the curls at the nape; he kissed her softly, something he would never admit to doing hoping she understood what he meant. She kissed him back, her lips smiling against his own; _

"_I love you too." _

He didn't know at that moment what he wanted to do but he couldn't move away from the tree and its carved sentiment. He never thought always would end so soon, hell if he was being honest he never thought always would end, period.

***

Her hair was around her face, there was no bounce to her curls, they dragged down hanging limp. Her face was the same ashen shade as the ugly gown she was wearing. This was not his princess.

"My goddess what has happened? Who was this sonofabitch that did this to you?"

He had jumped up on the bed beside her, narrowly missing her IV drip and crushing her to his chest. He smelt like he always did, of sweat and the sickly sweet scent of candy, it was comforting to Jackie after days of inhaling the decidedly bad smell of the hospital.

"No one did anything to me Fezzie, I did this to myself."

His mouth fell into a perfect O, the gasp escaping from them sounding decidedly over dramatic. Turning her so she faced away from him he pulled his fingers through her hair working the knots out like a pro. Moving in with him had been Jackie's absolute last option and it had taken weeks for the two to find a steady rhythm to living together. The cramped apartment still had the couch that Kelso's parents had donated; Jackie refused to touch it claiming even the floor would hold less germs than a Kelso couch. That was when it happened. Sitting on the floor her knees pulled to her chest, chin resting lightly on them Fez had put his hands to her hair and begun to lightly massage and detangle the cascade of curls. If anyone else were to do it Jackie would have removed their hands leaving them with stumps but for Fez it bordered on normal. It was comforting to her, reminding her of when she was little and her hair had to be brushed out every day by Rosa pulling at the knots gently until only silken strands were left.

"Talk to Dr. Fezzie, I don't understand how my beautiful Goddess would let herself look like this?"

Jackie giggled at the seriousness of his tone; he really did love pretending that he was a doctor with all the answers to her problems. She didn't have the heart to tell him that that wasn't what Michael had meant when he said he should play doctor with her.

"It's not my fault, I just gave up. Have you ever woken up and felt disappointed? Like you wished you hadn't, that you never wanted to wake up again? Because that's all I've been feeling, it takes all of my energy just to get out of bed instead of hiding under the covers. And no one cared, no one even noticed. I could have just faded away and no one would have said a thing."

Tears choked her voice, the words struggling out. Fez had let his hands fall from her tresses, coming to rest in his lap, his fingers twisting into each other. Her head bowed as she continued to cry while Fez watched, awkwardly patting her shoulder.

"How can you even think that when you are so fabulous?"

For once Fez's shameless flattery did nothing to cheer her up. Maybe the doctors were right and she was going through some kind of emotional breakdown. Then again all doctors think that when you haven't come from an 'emotionally satisfying home life', but really who did?

"I don't feel fabulous Fez. It took me collapsing from malnutrition and exhaustion for anybody to realize something was wrong with me!"

Her words were spoken softly but there was a sharp bite of anger to it, it was so light he almost hadn't heard it, even her anger sounded defeated. All these emotions swirled around him and he felt the tiniest stab of pain, how had he not seen any of this?

"Don't blame yourself; I've had a lot of practice at hiding the truth from people."

Even someone as oblivious as Fez knew that by people she meant Hyde. With deft fingers he once again began massaging her scalp telling her in his own way that he was sorry.

"Even with the scraggly hair and pasty face you are still my Goddess."

Her mouth curled slightly at the small kiss he placed on the crown of her head. Fingering the pretty pink crystal, for a creepy, perverted foreigner he was a good friend.

***

Sweat coated his upper lip, his hair curling slightly along his scalp, all sure signs of his nerves. He may be King of the Idiots but everybody knew that when Red Forman asked to talk to you alone you weren't coming out of the talk the same way you came into it. Perhaps this way why his hands kept twitching over his lap, reassuring himself that his most treasured items would remain where they were, hopefully. Red had been a foot soldier in the war and seen things that were permanently burnt into his brain, things that could keep a man awake at night for fear of closing his eyes and living it again. Seeing Jackie in that bed, speaking as though she was drowning had become one of those images. Kitty always had teased him about how he was just a big softie behind everything but that wasn't true, he was just old fashioned. He had seen her vulnerability long before Steven Hyde had finally noticed, and watched as she slowly broke.

"Kelso I think its time I told you a few things."

He gulped audibly more than a little frightened at the calm voice Red was using as he leant against the car, his arms folded across his chest.

"I don't care about whatever the hell you idiots do down in that basement. As long as I don't have to see it, smell it or hear it, I couldn't give two rats asses. It's when what you Kettle Heads do hurt other people that I care. Jackie's in hospital because of you and those other idiots and all you care about is that she didn't want to see you. Don't you think that maybe there was a reason she didn't want to see you? Think about it Kelso, it's obvious why."

The blankness on the boys face made Red want to hit him. Settling instead on groaning he asked him,

"Lead paint was used on your crib as a baby wasn't it?"

Kelso shrugged, his feet itching to be out of the stuffy garage where the older man's stare was ripping into him, he felt all of eight years old.

"But Red-" Kelso quickly broke off as the older man's eyes flashed the very colour of his name; maybe that's where the name came from. "I mean Mr. Forman, Sir." His hand coming to his forehead in a salute.

Red's eyes closed, his hand coming to rest on the vein that was throbbing visibly above his eye.

"Just a ballpark figure, how many times exactly did they drop you on your head as a child?"

His bottom lip jutting out with a slight tremble, Kelso let out a huff of indignation.

"Some things you just don't talk about Red! God!" With a flounce of his head the one long ago dubbed the King of Idiots stalked away from the garage leaving a grinning Red behind. Taking out some of his frustration at the situation on Kelso had helped for now, he just wasn't going to think about later. Despite what his army assigned grief therapist said, denial was a very effective coping method.

***

The repetitiveness of the knitting was soothing to Kitty Forman. The quiet clicking of the plastic needles as she looped the soft pink wool. It was almost finished, Kitty had taken to knitting when stressed and over the last three months she had had plenty to be stressed about. The blanket was big enough that it would cocoon the small girl, but considering her waif-likeness that wasn't saying much. She had looked so child like in the bed, so sad and small in a way that had nothing to do with her stature. She made a mental note to go to Jackie's apartment and pick up a few personal things. Maybe if she had her pyjamas and photos she would feel better. Logically she knew Jackie's problems were not going to be solved by stuffed Unicorns and fluffy pink blankets, but they couldn't hurt right? The door to the kitchen swung open and a petulant Sam pranced into the room sitting down huffily in Red's green easy chair. She sighed loudly waiting for the mother figure in her husband's life to ask her what was wrong. Kitty continued humming, the needles clacking their own melody completely out of time with it. Sam sighed louder looking at Kitty more pointedly until she gave up and put the needles down.

"Is something wrong dear? Did the washing machine eat the rest of your pants?"

Sam looked at her confused, her forehead becoming a furrow of lines.

"Pants?" The elder woman laughed her awkward laugh and went to pick up her knitting. "I don't know what's going on here! Hyde just left and Donna yelled at me and said something about the midge- I mean Jackie. Hyde hasn't said anything and it's making me feel so confused!"

Her hot pink nails sparkled as she threw her hands in the air waiting expectantly for Mrs. Forman to comfort her. It's what mothers are supposed to do right? Kitty looked away from the girl who was pouting, smearing her lipstick across her teeth as they come down to chew on her lower lip.

"Well dear I'm sure Donna and Steven are just upset that poor Jackie is in the hospital, they are probably feeling guilty about gallivanting around town instead of spending time with the poor girl."

Sam snorted, her nose wrinkling the rest of her face.

"Why should they feel guilty? Poor little rich girl, nobody loves me. Boo hoo!"

Kitty's grip on the needles tightened and they snapped in half making Sam jump slightly at the noise.

"Oh Sam shut your mouth!" Laughing once more Kitty smiled thinly at the girl, "Jackie is family just like Steven and Donna. We care about our family. Steven has always been moody when it comes to Jackie, love tends to make one crazy!" Gathering the almost complete blanket in her arms Kitty walked to the stairs pausing at the first step to turn to Sam who was scowling. "Don't sit in Red's chair." The stairs creaked under her feet and she felt a wave of satisfaction wash over her. Nobody messes with her family.

***

**Thanks for all your well wishes. Thanks to my pain meds I haven't been in much pain unless I walked, bent over, sat etc. Pretty much as long as I was lying down straight I was all good. Thankfully I can actually move now =) I also had the time to start in on this new chapter which is laying the ground work for some other issues to come up. Glad you guys are getting into this story. Please keep reviewing they are making my day! **

**A/N: To everybody who lives in Australia please donate to the Red Cross Appeal for the Bush Fire Victims, over 120 Dead, 750 Homes Lost and Fires still raging. Help out anyway you can!**


	4. Finding Out

**DISCLAIMER: Ownership belongs to Carsey-Werner and the Dumbasses that run the Fox Network. Is that me- thankfully no, as if I want to be known as the dumbass that cancelled quality TV in favour of such crap house shows as…everything else on the Fox Network…**

**Ch4…**_**Finding Out**_

*******

She had never really understood irony until now. How ironic. She always wanted to be the centre of attention and have people dote over her, catering to her every whim. She should know by now that every time she got what she wanted it came with a price. She wanted to be with Steven and it cost her, the cheerleading squad. She wanted to work in TV and it cost her Steven. She wanted the attention but it took away her sanity. Since her lips had gotten babble happy she had rarely found herself alone. Fez, feeling the guilt of not seeing sooner just how far she had fallen was overcompensating by coming to see her everyday filling her room with flowers and empty candy boxes that hadn't been full even as they came through the door. He hadn't once asked her to see the others; she suspected Red had something to do with the foreign boy's unusual silence on the matter. Out of everyone in her life she never would have thought Red Forman would end up being her Knight. She knew he had a soft spot for her, she had long ago discovered the benefit of the innocent, vulnerable vibe she emitted, people had always felt drawn to protect her and he was not immune. It shouldn't surprise her; he had always been there in the background, helping out when no one was looking. She could remember clearly, sobbing as Mrs. Forman comforted her after she had explained how her mother had skipped town with her trust fund, leaving Jackie to deal with the IRS as they finally foreclosed on the house and took the Lincoln. She had thought that everything had been cleared up when they lost the ski cabin and summer house in Maine but apparently her father wasn't the only one in the family with a taste for tax evasion. Her father's face had turned a shade not to unlike purple when she had explained, he had screamed at her, his words not making any sense as he asked about deeds and files and the Bahamas. She had listened numbly, not saying a word; this was the family she had left. He had called her worthless and a burden he no longer had to worry about; his latest appeal had been granted and he was being paroled to Utah. She didn't tell anyone else and no one noticed. They didn't notice that the shoes she wore now were always flats from walking or that the small photo of her family that used to sit on her bureau was no longer there. She had come home one day to find boxes with her name scrawled across them stacked in her room, she hadn't recognised the writing but pulled at the boxes anyway. Clothes had spilt from them, stuffed animals and old report cards, and in the bottom of one box her cheerleading pom-poms. She never asked how they had gotten there; she had just known that he had done it, not that he would admit it even if she did ask.

"Now Red I will mother the girl as much as I see fit. With Eric in Africa and Laurie off who knows where, I need somebody to give all my love and affection!"

Jackie smiled inwardly as the voice of Kitty Forman announced her arrival long before the soft knock at the door. She sat up carefully, her arm still sore from the IV drip they had her hooked up to, making sure she got all the nutrients she needed.

"Hi Mrs. Forman, Mr. Forman."

Her voice was still husky, the usual high pitched squeal absent, her eyes at least brightened enough to show she was pleased to see them. At this point any improvement was cause for celebration.

"Now Jackie sweetheart, I've spoken to your doctors and they tell me you're refusing counselling. You always loved to talk and the doctor's think it would help with the emotional trauma you've had."

Jackie cringed feeling guilty at the look of concern Kitty was showing her. She didn't want to go to counselling and let yet another person find out just how worthless she was. She couldn't exactly cite that as her reason, her brain spinning trying to formulate an excuse to placate them.

"The doctor's won't release you unless you agree to go to counselling. They think and I agree, that what you need right now is a loving environment."

Kitty's hand came down to clasp her own, Jackie felt the tingle in her palms that she had come to equate with panic, she knew even before the words left her mouth what they would be. Her hearing faded and all she could see were Mrs. Forman's lips forming the words. They couldn't seriously believe she would let herself live in the same household where **they** all came together. Red's calloused hand reached for her free one, Kitty still clutching the other tightly, she felt herself being tugged by each of the Formans, but she was certain she didn't want to go in the directions they were headed.

"Well where am I supposed to go? Consider my options; the ex-best friend who constantly harassed me for degrading women by cheerleading and is now palling around with a stripper, going to Chicago to see Michael and be constantly reminded of what his verbal diarrhoea did to me or stay here and watch my ex parade around his slut of a wife who only just worked out that Gilligan's Island is not a real place!" Her pale cheeks were infused with crimson, from indignation or anger, she couldn't quite tell, Kitty's eyes were swimming with tears that seemed to tremble as she fought to keep them from spilling. She wanted to turn away or close her eyes, anything to stop from seeing the sadness in Kitty's face; just another person for her to disappoint. Red's grip on her hand tightened and she was thankful for the chance to look away.

"You're staying at our house and you're going to counselling." His hand was raised in front of her face before she had the chance to protest. "And leave Steven and the tramp to me, they wont bother you."

Something akin to hope pulled at her; she really wished she could believe that.

***

He vaguely wondered if this is how Hyde felt all of the time. He sat on the lawn chair usually reserved for Kelso pretending he could not feel the penetrating gaze of his friends. Paranoia did not fit him well, they're blatant staring caused him to sweat profusely and stammer his words. His neck hurt from constantly peering over his shoulder to make sure that one of them was not following him. The laugh track of _Three's Company!_ Doing nothing to ease the obvious tension in the room, it was so stiff even Sam had picked up on it, too bad she didn't respect it.

"Why are you all so upset? So what if the little bitch is in hospital it's not like any of you even liked her! Donna, you called her bitch and said you didn't even know why you were friends with her!"

A guilty look flashed across Donna's face as all the eyes in the room swept from Fez to her, the sweat from Fez pouring out instantly. Donna glared at the stripper who was perched on the arm of the couch.

"No I didn't! I said I didn't want to be the cream filling in your bitchy Oreo! Jackie and I have been through a lot together, mainly these guys stupidity, but still she's my best friend!"

Sam looked at her smiling but just like the rest of her it was fake, she tossed her hair back and stood her stance reminding everyone of Laurie.

"Then why have you spent all of your time with me and not her? If you guys were really best friends you would be with her at the hospital, not down here glaring at the TV."

She was smiling triumphantly at the room and even Hyde, through his haze felt the urge to push her off the arm chair, thankfully Donna did it for him before turning to look at him, Hyde swore he could feel hate coming off her and settling on him.

"Get a muzzle for your bitch."

Donna slammed the door behind her loving the cool night air, the hairs along her bare arms rose, goose bumps marring the flesh. For the first time in a while she felt as though she had finally done something right. Fez stared at the door which had shook from the force of the slam, Sam had pulled herself back up on the couch after looking pointedly at Hyde for help. He looked through her, not bothering to see if she was okay, in fact he didn't say a word, didn't move from his chair seemingly frozen as the blonde rubbed her elbow, frowning.

"I don't want Donna hanging out down here. You can't see her anymore!"

It was something little, his fingers had flexed as they tightened into a fist, Fez was sure that if he could see past the glasses pure rage would be evident in his friends eyes, perhaps actual fire would dance around the pupils. His own hands came down to the seat, fingers curling in preparation for the barrage of insults and anger that he was sure was coming. Hyde's chair shrieked as he kicked it back, smacking into the deep freeze.

"Don't tell me what to do, you're not my lawyer."

Hyde never had dealt well with being told what to do, it was as though as soon as he was ordered to do something, a switch inside him flipped and he felt compelled to do the opposite.

"No I'm your wife, either you stop seeing Donna or you don't see me."

As she said this Sam allowed the straps of her halter top to come undone, sliding down her shoulders, but it did nothing for Hyde, if anything it irritated him, contrary to popular belief he wasn't actually ruled by his downstairs brain. He growled at her, his hands clenching in fists at his sides. An ultimatum, there was no way this could end well, it never had before.

"Fine, your crap better be gone by tomorrow, I'll send the divorce papers, can you serve yourself using a slut-o-gram?"

Sam stared at Hyde, her mouth scrunched together like she was concentrating hard, whether it was from trying to make up a come back or trying to comprehend the words, no one knew.

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"Good!"

"Great!"

Two doors slammed and Fez was left alone in the basement, maybe this could end well after all.

***

The water tower had always been his place, it bore his name, it had flipped him off, it was his. He had been coming here since he was a kid and it never failed to help him out. Red's words had followed him around like a plague stalking him through Chicago until he finally came back here. Somehow he had to fix this, all of it. Thinking had never been his forte; with a face like his why would he need brains too? But now he needed the brains, Brooke had already sat their in her smart girl wisdom and deemed him partially at fault, he had hugged Betsy to his chest claiming his tears for hers. Chicago, that was were it had all started, or maybe it had started before that, of what he did know he placed his bet on Chicago and his big mouth. Hyde was stubborn and he hit hard, that was probably why he had never told the whole story of what had happened in that hotel room. Jackie had tried to but after Sam showed up she didn't bother. It was like that thing the physics teacher had told them about; the catalyst. If he had never gone to see Jackie, Hyde would never have gone to Vegas, Jackie would be engaged to Hyde and they would be happy. He felt physically ill at the possibilities his brain was coming up with. Red's words rang through his ears once more; _Jackie's in hospital because of you…she doesn't want to see you…its obvious why._

"Hey man."

The ladder squeaked under the weight of the curly haired burnout, his body sagging as he pulled himself over to where Kelso sat staring out at the sleepy town.

"Thought you went back to Chicago."

Out of the corner of his glasses Hyde took in his friend's appearance, his face was slack and his shoulders drooped down, it was as though one by one his friends had been taken over leaving behind the pod people. And he himself had been their first experiment.

"I came back."

Hyde chuckled, "Really, I forgot it was state the obvious day."

Perhaps it was the lacklustre tone or a build up over time but something inside Kelso snapped. Not looking at his friend he began to speak, anger colouring his words.

"This is your fault you know. If you had bothered to actually listen to Jackie instead of leaving like you always do then none of this would have happened. God Hyde, she could have died!"

He felt more than saw Hyde's body go rigid, he didn't want to hear this.

"Nothing happened in Chicago and you knew that. But still you punished her for it. Do you want to know what really happened? I drove Jackie to her motel, she was depressed and moping and so I thought, what would make her happier than some lovin' I mean it always makes me feel better right? So I'm in her room and I start making the moves and she throws her coffee on me, Kelso junior was not happy! She wouldn't even let me take the hotel dressing gown when I went to get ice to soothe him! I come into the room and then you freak out and steal my towel! Jackie wouldn't give me my clothes back much less my keys and I had to get a ride with a trucker named Hank home. He kept asking if I wanted to eat humble pie but I don't know any fruits called humble!"

Kelso's hands seemed to be possessed by Eric as they waved around wildly, emphasizing his point. Never one to be particularly calm, or Zen as Hyde would call it he expelled a heavy breath and turned his gaze to his silent friend. Funny Hyde had the same twitching vein that Red did. It was like a crack in his armour, a small sliver that could break the mask that he had been wearing since Vegas.

"You think I don't know that? Just shut it Kelso! You don't want to do this, not here, not now."

His nostrils flared slightly, his anger still warm from earlier.

"Then why are you still here?"

One little question, it wasn't simple to answer but it had an effect. Hyde snorted, shaking his head slightly. He reached for the bar above his head, his grip not exact as he pulled himself up. His fingers slipped and he fell forward, Kelso reacting too slowly to reach out for him. The fall was short and his body made a loud oomph as it hit the shrubs.

"Hyde, are you okay?"

Kelso looked down trying to see his friend through the darkness.

"Why does everyone ask that? I just fell off the water tower of course I'm not okay!"

The ladder creaked as he rushed down, Hyde was lying with the left side of his face bloodied, his arm bent at an unnatural angle.

"Whoa, Hyde your arm looks like a pretzel!"

Spitting out some of the grass that had landed in his mouth Hyde glared out of his broken glasses, the lens from the left side now missing.

"Yeah, that's not a good thing Kelso."

Kelso leant down and poked the rapidly darkening flesh jumping back as Hyde grunted in pain. He kicked Kelso's shin, smirking when her jumped back holding it in pain.

"Now that's not very nice! That is so like you Hyde! Always with the violence!"

Kelso's voice dimmed and he became blurry. Hyde's head lolled to the side and his eyes rolled back into his head, his body limp. Kelso frowned, this was not fixing things.

"Hyde! Hyde! Great, now who's going to help me get him in the car?"

***

Red was having a bad day. His morning had been spent in Jackie's apartment which had been thankfully devoid of the foreigner picking up a bunch of crap Kitty had deemed necessary while Jackie was in hospital. According to the Doctor's she was still refusing counselling and barely ate. She was looking at least another week in there. Her room had not been bright. The curtains closed and the rest of the room gloomy, no photos on the walls or stuffed animals strewn across her bed. Even her comforter had been bleak; a dark purple instead of cheerful pink. He had grabbed the nightgowns and tooth brush that Kitty had requested but hadn't found anything that would be deemed a 'comfort', no pictures, not even that stupid stuffed unicorn he had heard Steven complain about. On her night stand between a small lamp and the tissues had been a leather bound book with a small gold lock, the kind that could be opened just be jiggling it, he had thrown that in the bag too. Just being around the room had made him angry, the buzz of yelling at Kelso having worn off. He had gone to the hospital and demanded she stay with them, if only it had been that easy.

"What do you mean I can't force her to talk to the counsellor?"

The Doctor had irked Red from when he had first met him. He had wanted to take the stethoscope from around his neck and strangle him with it. Now he wanted to make him eat the damn thing.

"Miss Burkhardt is legally an adult, you can't make decisions on her behalf unless nominated as the Next of Kin and she is physically or mentally unable to make decisions. Our records indicate that her Next of Kin is someone by the name of Steven Hyde. Perhaps if we contacted him, he could convince Miss Burkhardt to attend some sessions with the staff psychologist so we can accurately diagnose her problem. If she still refuses counselling we'll have no choice but to turn her over to a psychiatric institute."

Dr. Behr looked down at the chart not bothering to keep his voice down; Kitty tugged on his arm her eyes pleading with him not to do anything. He looked away from him knowing that he would soon want to hit the smarmy man.

"Come on Red, we need to talk about this before we discuss anything more with Dr. Behr."

She smiled and the doctor nodded at her brusquely, closing the file with a loud snap.

"Nurse Forman, I'll be back to check on the patient in a few hours. Try to get her to eat something."

The smile stayed on her face until he disappeared around the corner.

"What an ass of a man."

Red glared in the direction the man had disappeared before turning back to his wife. Jackie had left Steven as his next of kin; someone up there must have a sense of humour, a cruel sense of humour. Kitty had continued talking while Red was staring at the door to Jackie's room. The girl needed help.

"Kitty you need to knock some sense into the girl. Be a nurse, be her mother, be her friend, I don't care."

Her small fingers rubbed circles in his back knowing it would soothe him now that he had cracked.

"Okay Red, I'll talk to Jackie."

Red coughed, his feet making a shuffling noise as the scuffed at the ugly linoleum floor.

"Good."

Kitty smiled up at her husband, her eyes showing satisfaction, he groaned loudly.

"Don't look at me like that Kitty; I just don't want my tax dollars being wasted on keeping her in longer than she has to be."

Kitty clucked her tongue, smiling wider at her husband. Her hand travelled up his back and rested on his shoulder rubbing it comfortingly.

"Sorry to interrupt Kitty but your son was just bought in, according to his friend he fell off the water tower."

Mina took a step back when she saw the vein in Red's forehead begin to twitch. Kitty reached for the folder she was holding her head shaking.

"Michael isn't my son-"

She broke off as she read the name scrawled across the tab, the paper crinkling under the force of her grip. Red pulled the folder from his wife cursing as he saw the name,

"Mina we need to go check on our dumbass would you mind sitting with Jackie for a little while?"

She nodded slowly, watching as Red's posture grew rigid and a sardonic smile spread across his face. She waited a few minutes until the two had disappeared not quite sure what exactly was going on but knowing whatever it was, it was sure to be bad.

***

_* Thanks again for all your reviews, it's always good to have your ego stroked, especially if you're an attention whore like myself who lives for that stuff, I'm like Fez minus the creepy perversions and candy obsession, actually I'm more Jackie like- I just crave being told I'm gorgeous and lovable =) _

_* Thanks to everyone who has donated to the Bush Fire Victims, may the arsonists' burn in hell (Pun Intended). Rock on Aussie's for all the $$$ you've dropped for those in need!_


	5. Taking Control

**DISCLAIMER: All ownership goes to be people that are not me. And they have an elsewhere to be…HELL!**

**Ch5…**_**Taking Control**_

*******

Tact, some people have it some people don't. Why should you use it, it's just a more polite way of lying, it's just not telling the truth. Jackie was never good at tact, probably because her formative years were spent being lied to, she just had no appreciation for it. In her world lies always came out one way or another and the longer they were kept hidden the longer the wound seeped. Mina had been in her room for a while fussing over her, making sure she was comfortable and had everything she needed but she was yet to utter a word about the argument Jackie had listened to, even though Mina had to have known she had heard it, the walls in this place were thinner than Eric's bicep.

"My pillows are fluffed, you painted my toe nails and I even ate what was supposed to be strawberry jell-o. Are you ever going to tell me what Red was shouting about outside?"

When trying to extract information the direct approach was always your best option, in most cases the person will be caught off guard and blurt out information before they register the words leaving their mouth. Her abrasiveness coupled with the gaze Jackie had latched on her, had to work.

"That's between him and the Doctor, sweetie. Just focus on getting better, have you thought any more about the counsellor?"

Mina leant forward brushing Jackie's hair away from her face, most of her colour had come back and she no longer had the sickly pallor that she had come in with. She was good, directing the conversation to a different topic, Jackie was better; she had had years of practice at the art of subterfuge, something she was equally proud and ashamed of. Mina kept her gaze away from Jackie staring intently at the machines next to the bed.

"So Michael fell off the Water Tower again? They should seriously think of renaming it in honour of him, I don't think he's gone a year without falling off that thing since he was ten."

Jackie smiled at the childlike chuckle of Mina; it was such a full sound, it felt warm.

"No actually it wasn't Michael this time, although he was there."

Mina continued fiddling with the machines, her eyes straying from them to Jackie every few moments.

"You said it was Mr and Mrs Forman's son that fell, if it wasn't Michael, it couldn't have been Eric and you know Fez isn't there son, so it had to be-"

Jackie broke off before she allowed herself to finish the sentence; she didn't want her lips speaking his name. Mina had kind eyes, just like Mrs. Forman's and they showed concern for her, concern that this could be news that would hurt her. Jackie used to pride herself on her daintiness, her delicateness as a girl; like a perfect china doll. But she wasn't, she hated those probing eyes, so full of concern and fear. She was already broken, nothing else could hurt her. How could she when she could barely even feel?

Mina's hand came down and squeezed her own. She swallowed the large lump that had somehow travelled up from her stomach and settled in her throat.

"Jackie, are you okay?"

She wanted to snort, rip her hand from Mina's and spit out a reply, but she didn't. She shrugged her shoulders feeling the tension that was bundling there.

"Why wouldn't I be? It's not like he's anything to me, it's his wife's problem now."

Try as she may she could not keep the scorn from her voice, it hitched at the 'w' word, betraying the fact that, okay maybe she did care just a little, it's not like she was heartless. She scrunched her eyes closed trying to avoid the look of pity that was passing over Mina's face; she didn't need anyone's pity.

"Mina" Jackie fake yawned even though it was early afternoon. "I'm really tired I think I'll just have a nap, can you tell Mr and Mrs Forman?"

Without waiting for a response she curled up on her side, subconsciously recreating the foetal position craving some kind of security and protection. She felt the soft kiss on her forehead and willed her face not to react to it, waiting for the soft shuffle of the nurse's slippers across the floor and the light click of the door as it shut. She waited a few more minutes before moving. The room was dimly lit and she stumbled slightly as she made her way to the bathroom, thinking of everything that had happened, she felt the lump in her throat come up and she let it pour from her mouth into the small toilet. Rinsing her mouth she smiled at herself in the bathroom mirror, she felt better; at least there was still one thing in her life that she could control.

***

Hyde was wincing and it wasn't from the stitches being pulled through his head, or the curls on the floor that had been shaved off. It wasn't from the way the nurse had pulled his arm so that they could set it or when she pulled the rocks from his knees. He was wincing as he listened to Red Forman reel off a list of every thing he had done wrong. How did parents do that, there must be some way they can always remember every screw up in their lives. He felt like yelling back at Red, yelling that he already knew all of this, that he was a screw up but instead he remained silent staring blankly as the steady stream of insults left his mouth and Kitty looked at him in a mix of disappointment, concern and a little anger.

"Where you drunk? High? Or just plain stupid? So you want to dethrone El Stupido here as King of the Idiots? Because you've pulled in front of him pretty far. Of all the no good, dumbass stunts. You could have killed yourself!"

He didn't even have the safety of his glasses to hide the scorn he felt building in his eyes, he needed the Zen he so proudly wore to conceal everything he was feeling. Kitty's hair continually moved as she shook her head, her mouth pursed tightly.

"It was an accident, the bar was loose and he slipped."

Kelso really hadn't helped the situation dragging him from the car into the hospital dropping him in a mess of limbs his head making a solid thwack against the floor, which certainly didn't help his concussion. His doctor had disappeared earlier, after talking with Kitty about counsellors. The Doctor had asked him if he had been drunk, Mr and Mrs Forman had looked at him with trepidation, he couldn't even bring himself to be angry knowing full well they suspected that he had been drunk off his ass when this occurred. Hell he was surprised he wasn't but he hadn't had a beer since Jackie had collapsed at the house. He had tried to drink but the liquid which usually soothed him now tasted bitter to his tongue making him feel ill instead of calmed.

"When is the Doctor getting back, I want to get the hell out of here."

The nurse pulled his stitches tighter glaring at him; his eyes went to Kitty who was also glaring.

"Language, Steven! The Doctor thinks you hit your head pretty hard, you have a concussion he wants to keep you in here overnight."

He waited while the nurse tied off his stitches before moving, there was no way he was staying any longer in this place then he needed to.

"No way, come on Red. I'll just shake it off."

The grim look on the older man's face slightly spooked Steven; he could only ever recall seeing his face that serious on certain occasions, most to do with war, death or death in war.

"I told you to sort yourself out, so either you have a hearing problem or you're dumber than I thought. I'm not your father Steven and I'm not your friend but you will do what I tell you because you need help, you're just too proud and dumb to realise it and I'll be damned if I let a fool live under my roof."

Mrs Forman was still silent, it was unnerving, she hadn't hugged him tightly scolding him, hadn't asked if he was okay. He liked to think she had learnt that he despised those kinds of displays but he knew that that wasn't true; she was well and truly pissed.

"Personally I think you need your head examined for all the dumbass stunts you've pulled over the last few months. You should be begging God that you have a tumour because if I was Jackie there is no other way I'd forgive you."

Kelso snorted back a laugh quieting only when everyone else in the room turned their frosty glares on him. He bit his lip trying to avoid Red's eyes, still scared after his talk with him days earlier.

"Kelso, leave."

If this were a cartoon, the seat he had been occupying would be spinning and there would be white whirls in the air. The nurse that had patched him up left quickly giving him one more disapproving look, he was not feeling very welcome here, and even the air felt cold and standoffish.

"I'm 19; you guys can't force me to stay here."

There are several true signs of the apocalypse, Red Forman smiling while leaning back on his heels was one of them. Kitty was trying to match her husband's grin, nervous giggles coming out in little bursts.

"Now you see that's where you are wrong. I **can** and I **will** make you stay, thanks to your little fall you've been placed on suicide watch for the next 48 hours. It seems your family has noticed a change in your behaviour and are very worried about you. Dr. Evans was all too happy to arrange you a room."

Hyde wanted to smile, at the very least in appreciation for the epic burn that Red had laid on him. He'd have to remember this for the next time Kelso decided to test the theory of gravity.

"You guys can't be serious."

Again Hyde felt a chill go down his spine as Red's smile widened.

"Please fight this, the nurse outside is getting the restraints and the drugs. How would you like to spend those 48 hours confined to your bed by wrist and ankles restraints?"

The smile was really starting to freak him out, Kitty's nervous giggling adding to his agitation.

"I saw _A Clockwork Orange_, there is no way in hell-"

Steven's eyes begun to dart around the room as the vision of needles coming towards him entered his mind, he never even saw Red's fist coming.

"We have sedatives for a reason Red Forman!"

Red shook his hand out, maybe there was something to his theory that the boy had rocks in his head, it sure felt like hitting them. His knuckles would probably bruise and he'd be hearing about from Kitty for the next few decades but boy did it feel good.

***

Her house was never quiet, an endless parade of new useless crap her father bought and Tom Jones albums yes but quiet, no not quite. Before her mum split there was always people around from whatever new craze they were into. Yoga, Karate and those horrible swingers' parties. None had scared her quite as much as the nudist phase until this. Her father's latest obsession; dating. Joanne had been okay, hell even Pam Burkhardt was bearable but there was just no way that she could handle this new girlfriend, who if all things worked out would be her step-mother. She had left the basement after an argument with Sam, she needed to go home and vent her frustration in her diary and listen to some angry music. She had been pulling the Judas Priest record out of its sleeve when she heard it, that little giggle. She had lived through twelve years of schooling with that giggle. The dread had filled her instantly and when her father's smiling face came into her room followed by a smirking Pam Macy there was only two things left for her to do. Scream and run like hell.

"This has got to stop!"

The basement was only occupied by a sleeping Fez but Donna didn't seem to notice. The slam of the door had woken him up and he was watching though sleepy eyes as the red haired girl paced the small area between the couch and spool speaking aloud, mostly to herself.

"I knew she was a slut but this is just going too far. Things have to change around her. Eric went to Africa and Kelso moved to Chicago, Hyde married a whore, Jackie's in the hospital and now this? What kind of freaking bizarre world is this?"

Fez's half closed eyes opened widely when Donna's hands grasped his shoulders roughly shaking him,

"You have to help me! I can't take it anymore!"

The repeated shaking coupled with his dinner of Twinkies and grape soda made his stomach turn, clutching his middle Fez quivered,

"Ai! Move it Bigfoot!"

He moved with surprising speed heading straight for the back of the basement, the sounds of retching would usually make Donna herself gag but she was already more than a little nauseas from earlier. The faint aroma of sick wafted out to her and she fought the urge to blanch.

"You okay in there Fez cause you know that's not the bathroom and Hyde will kill you if you munted all over his bed!"

His hair no longer perfectly gelled; Fez came back into the main room his hand rubbing small circles on his stomach. A small piece of barely digested food was stuck to his mouth, his shirt discoloured by something purple and sticky. Donna stepped towards him gingerly her fingers brushing his shoulder, his eyes seeming to not be able to focus. Rolling her eyes she pulled her hand back to her own shoulder pulling at her shirt to reveal a black lace bra strap. She waited a few minutes for Fez's pupils to focus and his lips to curl into a smile. She shifted her gaze from Fez's face to the back of the basement, the dread she felt from earlier coming back stronger. The basement felt cold as she walked to the small dank room in the back half expecting to see Sam's mutilated corpse covered in Fez's vomit, somehow compared to what she did see the former was more preferable. She smelt rather than felt when Fez came to stand next to her, turning to him she found her face now mirrored his own. The doorknob to the basement rattled before Kelso stumbled into the room, letting in much needed fresh air, he looked confused as both Donna and Fez continued to stare into the small bedroom.

"Uh, guys? Hyde's not in there."

Fez was the first to tear his eyes away from the room, looking at Kelso in confusion.

"How do you know that? Did you finally find the radioactive spider? And you did not call me? You selfish son of a bitch!"

Kelso frowned shaking his head sadly.

"No, but don't think I haven't been looking! I was just with him at the hospital."

Donna groaned backing away from the room closing the door behind her, the horrifying sight temporarily forgotten as what Kelso just said registered.

"What did the dillhole do now?"

Kelso's eye brows came together, frowning as though offended.

"Hey! It could happen to anyone! I'm sure he was just testing the earth's gravy pull."

It was times like these that Donna wondered just how she had come to be friends with these people; she was a smart, liberated woman, right?

"Gravy pull? I think you mean gravitational pull you dinkus! Either shut up and tell me what's going on or so help me Kelso, I'll kick you in the nads!"

It had been a long, long day for Donna Pinciotti. Kelso instinctively closed his legs, feeling a slight case of déjà vu as his hands came to his groin.

"Donna gets grouchy when she hasn't gotten laid!"

The slap was swift and his head fell forward promptly, he yelped when he felt her fingers curl his hair around them and yanked it back up as she slammed the stupid helmet down roughly.

"And violent!"

Fez walked over to the deep freeze for a popsicle, this could take a while, they hadn't even told Kelso about what was in Hyde's room yet.

***

William Barnett was not a man who liked to be kept out of the loop, he hated it. He was a successful businessman with a healthy disrespect for the man, he wasn't paranoid merely cautious. Hence the security he had stationed in the lobby of his building to keep out people he had no time or need for. His cautiousness had served him well over the years, helped him in the business world and in his home life. He had been cautious when he found out he had a son he never knew anything about, especially when said son turned out to be white. He was cautious now as said son's alleged wife demanded to be let into his office to speak with him. His son had never mentioned anything about a wife and while the woman's voice grated on him it was not the voice of his girlfriend Jackie Burkhardt, somehow he knew that this was going to be something that caution would not help with, it was going to screw him over anyhow.

***

_Hey Guys, thanks for still checking this story out, this chapter is a bit shorter than usual, I don't want to give too much away too quickly. Sam isn't gone just yet, somehow I doubt she'd just let Hyde throw her out. Her exit will be very different to how it was in the show because while she is a dumb whore, I have always found that they make the best conniving bitches =) Please review to keep me motivated!_


	6. Cracking Up

**DISCLAIMER: Ownership of That 70s Show belongs to Carsey-Werner and Fox, if I did own something from That 70s Show it would be Hyde's El Camino, with Hyde =)**

**Ch6…**_**Cracking Up**_

***

God definitely had a sense of humour. She had thought that she had been low, that the worst of everything was over, but Jackie had forgotten something; things could always be worse. Maybe it was her years dating a paranoid burnout or maybe it was just that she knew nothing ever really went her way, whatever the reason a sense of foreboding filled her when the candy striper came into the room and made up the bed that had been empty next to her. A room mate, goody. She hadn't given much thought to the person who would be sharing in her room, probably some pathetic head case who spoke to all the pretty voices in her head. Even if she had been tired there was no for Jackie to sleep through the noise of the nurses bustling back and forth, she had pulled out her notebook glad that Mr. Foreman had bought it to her that morning. The hairs on her arms were raised and she could feel the gaze of the nurse bought in the chart of her new roomie, placing it at the edge of the bed. She flicked the pages faster acting absorbed by her scratchy writing on the plain blue lined paper, flashes of her words calling out to her. The last page was just as she had left it days earlier, incomplete, how she hated that.

_Looking for a single thread_

_Of melody to help me get by_

_Where we're passing the time_

_Is it real? _

_Does it give too much away?_

_It's pouring out my heart_

_Till you come back_

_A reason to stay_

_Do you know?_

_Is this way home?_

_Is this way_

_We just stare while the wheels fall off_

_But everyone seems to carry on_

_No time to tell you_

_How much we lost_

_Cause everyone needs to carry on, carry on_

Everybody else just carried on and left her behind, story of her life. She spent so much time wanted to get noticed, needing to be noticed but nobody every cared to find out why. She had always wondered what would happen if people ignored you long enough, would you just stop being? Like that stupid philosophical crap Donna used to tell her about; if a tree falls in the woods and nobody is around to hear it did it really make a noise? Jackie actually understands that now. Gripping the pen she felt calmer, here was proof she had been there, that she had existed. Breathing in and out to steady herself, she closed herself and hummed softly letting the words come to her naturally.

_Looking for some words to say_

_There's no familiar faces round here_

_But the feelings the same_

_Is it real? _

_Does it give too much away?_

_It's pouring out my heart_

_Till you come back_

_A reason to stay_

_Do you know?_

_Is this way home?_

_Is this way…_

There it was again, that feeling of someone's eyes probing her; she could feel their pity seeping into her. She felt exposed in the flimsy nightgown with her words laid out in front of her. The book shut with a snap and she shoved it under her pillow waiting for the owner of the eyes to appear. This was a place you went to heal, to be fixed, it's funny that the door still creaked when it was pushed open and the beds groaned against the weight of the people in them, no matter how tiny they may be. She had squeezed her eyes shut pretending to be asleep even though logically she knew that the person who had been staring in at her would know better. There was the creak and groan as the person settled their weight next to her.

"Cut the crap Jackie and sit up, we need to talk."

It was babyish she knew but still she faked a yawn and opened her eyes slowly, apprehensive.

"Hi."

Her visitor breathed noisily through their nose, pulling at their fingers, not really looking at her.

"Is there something wrong?"

Her voice sounded pitiful to herself, it had been days and it was still raspy and oddly childlike completely at odds with her staunch declaration that she was an adult.

"It's Steven."

She already knew that it was Steven that was in the emergency room and still she felt a dull stab at his name, he had fallen off the water tower, maybe he and Kelso were more alike than everyone realised.

"Oh."

She supposed she should ask if he was okay, but she didn't. She already knew he would be fine, somehow she just knew, like a sixth sense. She always had known how to find him when she wanted to; her stomach recoiled slightly as that thought passed over her. She hated that she had that connection to him, and that he exploited it at every chance since Chicago.

"He's fine; at this point a knock to the head could only help."

She wanted to laugh but the lines across their forehead and the way their mouth creased downward made the statement not at all funny, in fact they had sounded oddly hopeful. She cleared her throat trying to dislodge the lump that had been there all morning, choking her.

"I suppose you're wondering why I'm telling you this."

Actually she didn't, this was Kitty Forman, she told everyone everything, even the things you never needed to know, like when Eric had his first wet dream and she threw him a big boy's party. She shuddered lightly at the memory, her eyes scrunched closed.

"Well the Doctor is worried that he might have a concussion and given my panic attacks at work over his behaviour these last few months he decided to put Steven under observation."

How much would it hurt if she just ripped the IV out of her hand and made a run for it? How far would she get barefoot and wearing a pale pink nightgown? Her gaze shifted to the door where the shadow of two feet interrupted the light shining under. She wasn't getting out of her yet.

"It will just be for two days while they assess his condition."

She couldn't understand what it was Mrs. Forman was telling her, or maybe she just didn't want to. The door creaked and she wanted to scrunch her eyes closed once more, perhaps click her heels together and say to herself three times; there's no place like home. It wouldn't matter though, to her every place was like home; cold and empty.

***

They had moved from the basement, it didn't feel like the carefree state of their youth right now. Even their favourite table at the Hub felt tainted but that didn't stop Kelso and Fez from stuffing their faces with fries while they sat there trying to work everything out. Donna had been thinking aloud for the last ten minutes, like Columbo going through everything as methodically as possible, if she ever needed Eric it was now, he lived for this kind of Hardy boy crap; he'd probably have some kind of special notebook and a spy pen/ flash light. The thought interrupted her and she laughed, really laughed to the point where even Fez scooted his chair away from her. Donna Pinciotti had finally snapped.

"Fez you throw the water in her face and I'll slap her."

The abandoned food was pushed aside as he reached for the empty cup, Kelso suddenly nervous at the thought of hitting a girl even if it was Donna who should have been on the wrestling team. Hesitating he reached over carefully poking Donna in the chest, tears had begun to spill from her eyes and her laughter shook her frame, her mouth no longer making noises. Water mixed with her salty tears as Fez returned tripping over his feet. Her hair dripped down onto her jeans and she blinked back the droplets fixed to her eye lashes, now she was cold and wet. Fez was staring at her from the floor, too scared to move, the paper cup now crushed.

"I think we made it angry."

Kelso expected some kind of Hulk reaction whilst Fez could imagine steam coming out of her ears. Loud yelps fell from the boys' lips when Donna's fingers pulled at their ears dragging them from the eatery and towards Kelso's car.

"Careful on the hood!"

Fez's belt scraped against the cherry red and it made Donna smile; she had the two boys pushed up against Kelso's pride and joy, leaning against the metal.

"It's been a long, long day. I have spent the last few hours smelling vomit, watching my father **snuggle** with Pam freakin' Macy and to really make things better, the cherry on the crapola sundae that is this day I find out that Hyde has just screwed his life over yet again!"

Donna released her hold on the boys to back away a few meters, hot air hissing from her mouth. The boys didn't move, hesitant to do anything that would piss her off.

"No, no, no, no and no. This won't happen, I won't let it and you two are going to help me!"

She was wild eyed and her usually straight hair was whipping around her face with the wind, her fingers shook slightly as they curled into the shirts of the boys, tearing at the buttons from the force.

"Oh God, I'm about to take on the death star and all I have is Chewbacca's retarded back water cousins!"

Her hands flew from their shirts to cover her mouth as what she had just said registered.

"When all of this is over I'm going to kill Eric!"

But first she had to save Hyde's ass, again.

"Get in the car and drive dill hole!"

Kelso moved quickly fumbling for the keys, Donna was right; this had been a long day and if she had her way it was going to be a hell of a lot longer.

***

He had been squeezing the phone so tight he was surprised it hadn't snapped in half. He felt like he needed a shower, her scent clung in his office making his skin crawl. How had his son married that woman? And why the hell didn't he know about it? Leo hadn't been very forthcoming with information other than some guy called Randy had shiny hair, like his girlfriend not exactly what he had been looking for. One of these days he's have to sit his son done and have a long talk about that hippie working in his store, but before that he needed to strangle him for getting himself in this situation. Dialling out to the outside office he tried to calm his breathing as he waited for his receptionist to pick up the call.

"Nancy, call Chuck and have him bring the car around front, cancel the rest of the weeks appointments and call Dan, his services may be needed this week. Thank you."

The dial tone beeped into his ear but he barely heard it as his mind recalled the conversation he had had earlier with Sam.

"What are you doing here and who are you?"

His nose had wrinkled at the girl clad only in green hot pants and matching boob tube, a thin green army jacket thrown over the top, she looked like a hooker on her way to Uncle Sam's birthday party. Everything about her unsettled him, especially the way her lecherous eyes were taking in his clothes and the pictures that surrounded his walls.

"I'm Sam your daughter-in-law and you're going to be helping me with a little something."

He had recoiled when her hand came to rest on his arm, she had a forcefulness about her and he had backed up colliding with his desk in his haste to move away from her. He was sure he could catch something just by being in the same vicinity as her. Straightening up he pushed her back by the shoulders escaping to the other side of his desk. He felt more in control when he was seated in his chair.

"Now why would I do that?"

Her lips had curled into what she probably thought of as a smile but was really more of a leer. Pushing aside his name plaque she perched on his desk leaning over so that her cleavage was eye level.

"Well unless you want all your investors to know your son married a stripper and abandoned her with a child, I think you'll be cooperative."

Chuck held the door open to him as he slid into the car relishing the smell of the leather interior. He hadn't gotten this far in the world by letting a little hussy like Sam pull one over him. He pulled out of the Chicago traffic and towards Wisconsin; he was long overdue for a little chat with his son.

***

His jaw ached, his nose itched and his head felt like it had been used as a piñata, everything was super! The last thing he remembered was thinking about having needles jabbed into his eyes. It was obvious he was still in the hospital only now he couldn't move. His jeans and shirt were gone, replaced by a blue gown, standard hospital issue thankfully hidden by the thick knit white blanket. His right arm lay prone to his side held down by a leather strap, the left encased in plaster rested across his stomach, his ankles were held in the same way. He could hear the angry whispers of people in the room but they were hidden from view by the curtain that hung down the centre of the ceiling. The voices were too muffled to understand but they sounded vaguely familiar, his ears itched to hear what they were saying. His lungs burned with the strain to breathe and his chest shook as he coughed, pain tearing through his side as he did. The voices in the room hushed and the curtain was thrown back quickly revealing no more to him than legs curled up beneath a pink blanket. Kitty moved away from the bed towards him checking the swell of his jaw while Red watched him pointedly not moving from the chair that was pulled up to the other bed.

"How are you feeling sweetie? You hit your head pretty hard when Red punched you, the doctors worried that with all these bumps you might have some serious damage."

Red chuckled leaning back against the rigid chair his hands clasped behind his head.

"That's if he has any brain cells left."

Hyde pulled against his restraints, testing their strength; but they held firm to the bed, he was stuck here.

"Were these really necessary?"

Kitty turned to glare at Red who raised his eye brows and smirked trying to play innocent and failing miserably. She shook her head before reaching for the leather straps holding his ankles tucking the blanket back in around them securely. Hyde fought to not roll his eyes as Kitty fussed over him, making sure his pillow was plump and the rest of his blankets tucked in securely.

"Leave the boy alone Kitty, he's in hospital not Korea!"

Hyde turned his head to grin at Red who was still glowering at him, not moving from the chair. He winced as Kitty's hands pressed against his right hand which was turning blue around the tube that was sticking out of it. His eyes widened in alarm, this was certainly new. Kitty stepped back checking the bag of liquid above his head, he'd never been in hospital before. Sure he'd been here as a visitor, he was practically Kelso's personal ambulance, but the last time he'd been a patient was when he was a baby, and he was pretty sure he hadn't liked it then either.

"Come on Red man, you can't be serious about me staying here. It's a waste of tax payers' money!"

He was grasping at straws but there were none; he was here for better or worse for the next forty-eight hours. Kitty smiled sadly his face pressed against her in a hug.

"Nope, hey maybe with you here I can finally get some peace in the house!"

Red had to pull at Kitty to move her from the bed to the door, the curtain still half open between the beds.

"And keep your trap shut, the girl needs her rest."

The door slipped shut behind them creaking but his roommate didn't stir, with his arm still held down he was pretty much helpless. It's ironic, just this morning he thought he was getting his freedom back by kicking out Sam now here he was restrained to a bed in a hospital that was currently home to his ex-girlfriend. His eyes slid once more to the blanket clad legs of his roommate, his _female_ roommate, but it couldn't be her. Sure Jackie was sick, but she wasn't on suicide watch…right?

***

*** Thanks for reading! **

*** Congrats to Heath on the Oscar, RIP, whilst not a surprise still very well deserved…**

*** This chapter used the song '**_**Carry On' **_**by Australian Band Motorace**_**,**_** look it up, it rocks.**

*** As always please leave a review, because lurking is kind of creepy…**


	7. Trying Hard

**DISCLAIMER: I still own nothing, but not through a lack of trying!**

**Ch7…**_**Trying Hard**_

_**A/N: What is written in italic are much like the dream sequences of the show…**_

***

She was going to be late to work but it didn't matter, she wouldn't even need the job soon. She just had to wait a little while and she would be out of this craphole town and away from her husband and his friends' stupid dramas. Sam fiddled with the radio trying to find a station playing something other than country or disco, fifties easy listening it was. She hummed to herself tapping her fingers on the steering wheel; the meeting had gone even better than she had hoped. Once she got past the shock that Hyde's father was black, that explained more than a few things, she had outlined exactly what he was going to do for her. Of course he had needed a little convincing; a stick with a small pink plus sign had pretty much sealed the deal. She almost felt sorry for Hyde but then again she didn't; it was all his fault anyway, him and that stupid little bitch. Her grip tightened on the steering wheel, her knuckles aching with the strain. She wasn't an idiot; she knew that Hyde was still in love with his bitch of an ex, he had said as much as he slurred his way through their marriage ceremony. It had been pure luck that Ronnie the bartender had recognised the name on Hyde's credit card as the CEO of Grooves Records; it had been her way out, somewhere between the sixth body shot and his third lap dance he had mumbled something about marriage, when he had stumbled with her to the chapel and said 'I Do' he may have been agreeing to front an ABBA tribute band for all he could understand. Luckily in Vegas being sober or even upright didn't matter when you were getting married, sure his name and signature on the marriage license were barely legible but it was real, government certified and everything. She was Mrs. Steven J. Hyde. He had stayed in that drunken haze for at least three days never coherent enough to even consummate the marriage, not that she minded. He was a talkative drunk and after he had gotten through sobbing about some girl called Jackie, he had mentioned his father; in specific having his very rich father pay someone to carry out a very lengthy and painful death of some guy called Kelso. She had literally seen the dollar signs flying around his head, which was when the rest of the plan had formed. Of course him leaving hadn't really factored into her scheme, so she had had to improvise.

"Stupid bitch is more trouble than she's worth."

She really hated Jackie, why was she so damn important anyway? Sure life in Point Place, Wisconsin was boring but before that bitch had been in hospital everything had been fine and she hadn't needed her plan B. She cut the engine as she pulled into the parking lot of _Frisky Kittens_; she was late and really needed to talk to Caroline, her plan had worked like a dream.

***

At the time it had seemed like the lesser of two evils, but by the third time that Fez had adjusted his position in her lip she had had to repress the urge to scream and slap the boy. Of course the other option; her sitting on his lap still seemed like the worse of the two. For a small town it seemed like the drive back to the basement was long, like Kelso had driven in circles in an effort to prolong it, but not even he was that dumb, right now he was still sore in various places from her getting all slap happy. Fez shifted his weight once more and Donna could taste the metallic tang of blood in her mouth as her teeth tore through her lip. She wanted to jump from the tiny car and kiss the pavement when it rolled to a stop in the Forman's driveway next to the paisley lawn furniture.

"Thank God, I've needed to tinkle since I finished the big gulp at the Hub!"

As Fez tore through the sliding door Donna idly wondered if she should be relieved or frightened that his constant movement in her lap was related to peeing and not as Fez termed them 'needs'.

"So Big D, what's the plan? I firstly, as an police officer of very fine standing would like to offer my services in saving your father from Pam, obviously she is in serious need of a little Michael Kelso TLC, and who am I to deny her that?"

Donna having collapsed on one of the lawn chairs leant forward and patted Kelso's hand.

"Thanks, that's very comforting." Pushing her hair back from her face she fell against the back of the chair mumbling under her breath, "Sadly I think I'll have to take you up on the offer."

Fez appeared back in the doorway his hands resting on his belt, a satisfied smirk across his face.

"Much better, I bet this is how Sam will feel soon. Miss Kitty says that being pregnant is like having a tap dancer on your bladder."

"Oh yeah, I remember with Brooke it was like every five minutes, one time I was in there and she just pushed me out of the way!"

Kelso shook his head his hair moving with it, flopping across his face, his hands thrown up in the air. Donna grabbed them at the wrists pulling them to his lap, her teeth gritted.

"We don't know for sure that she's pregnant all we saw was an empty pregnancy test box."

Fez hauled himself up on the porch railing his chin resting in his hand, a look of fright covering his face.

"Can you imagine a mini Hyde or a mini Sam?"

Kelso stood up quickly his eyes darting about as he paced the small expanse of the porch, his mind now thinking of what could be in nine short months.

_The basement was suspiciously devoid of its usual occupants, the TV was off and no record span round to fill the air with music. The only movement in the dank space was that of a gurgling baby as it was thrown into the air only to be caught by one Michael Kelso. _

"_I don't know why Brooke told me not to do this, you love it don't you!" _

_The baby cooed in response, reaching for her his hands faltered slightly and he almost dropped her. Looking around the basement carefully he shook his head with a grin before throwing her back up in the air once more. Loud footsteps reverberated through the basement; Kelso caught Betsy quickly before collapsing on the couch trying to act nonchalant and failing miserably._

"_Hey man." _

_Kelso nodded at Hyde who sat down next to him a small curly haired baby on his lap, it was clearly his son, a mini Hyde right down to the sunglasses and black t shirt. _

"_Betsy say hi to Tommy, Betsy say hi?" _

_Kelso held up Betsy's hand to make her wave. Tommy responded by whacking her on the head with his small fist making her cry. Hyde smirked hi-fiving his son while Kelso looked on in horror trying to calm his screaming baby girl. _

Kelso gulped loudly his whole body shaking, his head swinging from side to side.

"Ah uh, one Hyde is enough, I don't think I could handle two."

Donna nodded her agreement her own mind conjuring up just exactly what his child would be like.

_Sam was concentrating very hard, her lips were chewing on her lip, her eyebrows arched as she took in the many different shades of lipstick lined up on the basement coffee table. Donna groaned as she manoeuvred the large elephant through the basement door. Dropping it at Sam's feet she leant over to peer at the baby jerking back quickly. _

"_She's so…blonde. And is she wearing blusher?" _

_Donna tried to keep the shock from her voice but it was still there. Sam barely noticed as she nodded carefully applying the lipstick she had selected to the baby's mouth. _

"_Yeah, I thought she looked a little washed out. I taught her a trick today! You wanna see?" _

_Donna nodded uncertainly; the baby was barely a week old, what could she have learnt? Sam held the baby's hands using them to clap before holding one to the baby's chest and using the other to smack her bottom. Donna let out a strangled gasp before sprinting from the basement. _

"She can't be pregnant; nobody wants to watch a pregnant stripper!" Fez added shuddering at the thought of a half naked Sam trying to move a pregnant belly around a pole. "And if they do they are even more perverted than me." Hopping off the railing Fez crouches next to Donna's chair grasping her hands, "That is my thing, without it I'm just the foreigner. I don't want to be just the foreigner Donna!"

Once again Donna willed herself to resist the urge to slap him, although this time for his own good.

"Calm down! We don't even know if she's pregnant, somehow I doubt even Hyde is dumb enough not to wrap it before sleeping with a stripper."

Kelso looked at Donna clearly scoffing the idea, who would remember a condom when you were about to get it on with a stripper? Before she could reply the engine of the Toyota could be heard spluttering as it turned into the driveway, looking the boys in the eyes she pursed her mouth and shook her head slightly trying to convey to them not to reveal what they had been talking about.

"Hi kids."

Her usually cheerful tone felt forced, her skin looked hagged and she actually looked for fifty plus years. Red was the same as always, grimacing at them and making no attempts to hide his displeasure.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Monitoring the boys carefully Donna angled her leg allowing her to kick Kelso's leg stopping him from answering; unfortunately she was not as swift with Fez. The boy, still inept at lying laughed sporadically.

"Hehehe, nothing at all Mr Red, Miss Kitty, just wondering-"

Her hand clamped around his mouth ignoring the tongue that lashed against her palm.

"You don't really care why we're here, you just want us to leave, so uh bye."

Red stared as Donna dragged the boys through the hedges to her house vaguely wondering if he was just getting older or if kids were getting weirder.

***

There it was again. One, two, three, four; the unmistakable sound of nails beating out a drum against the table. Maybe he was going crazy, or maybe it was the feeling of doom the place emitted but it sounded like the nails were tapping out the beat of _The Addam's Family_ theme song. He found himself humming along under his breath. It seemed fitting given his dreams the night before; he had awoken at some point before dawn his body coated with a fine sheen of sweat. He couldn't remember exactly what it was he had dreamt of but its impressions remained, his insides twisted and his head pounding, it was an altogether terrible feeling. The nurse had came past earlier and given him his breakfast of rubbery scrambled eggs, pulpy orange juice and cold toast. She had released his hand from its restraint and he had felt like kissing her. She had disappeared behind the curtain and left breakfast for the other patient, their voices too hushed to understand, the curtain had remained stubbornly in place.

"Son, if you are not comfortable here we can continue this discussion in my office?"

Poor guy, he obviously did not realise that for this to be a discussion there would need to be more than just him talking. For one, Hyde didn't believe in head doctors- a person who gets paid to listen to everybody else's crap and fix their problems just by talking? Yeah right, in his experience talking only ever led to two things; a foot in the ass or a kick to his shins and he wasn't in a real big hurry for either.

"Look man I'm not talking to you about my mummy and daddy issues, alcohol dependency, emotional problems or whatever else the Forman's told you was wrong with me. Shit happens, you move on so why don't you move it on out of here."

His voice had risen slightly in relation to the looks of pity and little clucks of the tongue the doctor gave as he made notes in his notebook, he idly wondered if he would make that clucking noise if he slapped him with that notebook across the face, it had a kind of symmetry to it.

"Why do you think the Forman's told me you have these 'issues'?"

This doctor was a real cheese head. Evans, what a dumb name, and his questions were stupid too, he was all 'hey relax I'm your friend' and when that didn't work it was all nick names; son, pal, sport. It was sickening and not in a good way.

"Does it make you feel good about yourself listening to everyone else's problems? You get to go home to your wretched one bedroom apartment and think well gee maybe life isn't so bad? Makes you feel like a big tough guy? That's pathetic man."

His teeth had gritted and anger had flitted across his eyes but the doctor had swallowed it back down.

"Are you always so combative when talking about your feelings?"

There it was that cluck of the tongue; it made an odd beat compared to the nails beating against the cheap tables. The doctor was hitting his notebook with a pain adding a new beat to the mix.

"You know the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and expecting different results and yet you still keep asking me questions thinking I'll give you some kind of insight into my life. You know I think you should talk to somebody about that."

The chair scraped across the floor shrieking loudly as Dr. Evans stood up with one final shake of his head.

"I can see why they put you in here; you're both as stubborn as each other."

Curiosity prickled his neck, the doctor hadn't meant for him to be able to hear his words but years of listening out for trouble when mooching beers had finetuned his hearing. No longer restrained to the bed Hyde swung his legs over the side groaning with the strain it put on his broken arm ad bruised ribs. He wanted to see who this head case was he was roomed with, with his luck he'd wake up to find she'd rubbed jell-o in his hair because the nice pixie told her to or else the world would come to an end. Just as his fingers brushed the flimsy material the door was thrown open and the cheerful whistling of the candy striper could be heard as she collected that morning's dishes, she was actually whistling what sounded suspiciously like Donna Summers, huh there really was hell on earth.

"You all done here Mr Hyde? Or do you need help with the bathroom?"

She was Carol Brady on Prozac, her cheerfulness actually made him ache. He grunted back at her ignoring her expectant gaze as he hobbled to the bathroom, he would sooner go to a roller disco than ask for help going potty; he wasn't Kelso despite recent evidence to the contrary.

***

No one had asked her why she didn't want to talk to the psychologist they had just assumed it was because she thought she was fine. Well you know what they say about assuming! She knew she had a problem; you had to be pretty dumb not to she had caused it after all. It hadn't really been a conscious decision, to wallow; to waste away it was just that she didn't see the use anymore. Why should she take care of herself when there was no one to appreciate it? Why should she make a meal when there was no one to share it with? What was the use of existing if no one cared if you did? She was sure the doctor had some kind of scary official sounding name for whatever was wrong with her, Jackie had a name for it too; life. For the first fifteen or so years of her life it had been about exactly two things; being the rich, popular girl and making her parents proud. Then the basement happened, outwardly she was still that shallow, vapid princess but she had learnt to base less importance on other people's acceptance; sure she still wanted it but it didn't hurt as bad when she didn't get it. But the big change had come with Steven who one would think was her opposite; she liked disco he liked rock, she liked pink he liked black, she liked Jeannie he liked Samantha- they could never agree. But that was all surface stuff, it was the other stuff that mattered. Kitty had once said Steven was like an onion; he had many layers, so did she just nobody had ever really cared enough to see them before.

"Miss Burkhardt did you need anything?"

It wasn't the girl's fault she was so annoying, or maybe it was she didn't really have to be so damn cheerful did she?

"Yeah for you to be elsewhere."

Her head bent on an angle, confusion dotting her face. Maybe it would help if she threw a bed pan at her head? The candy striper; Susie according to her name tag; even her name annoyed her just laughed.

"You're so funny!"

She left with a wave the door shutting slowly behind her, Jackie was going to have to talk to Mina and Kitty about allowing annoying girls like that around her, it was bad for her health. It was almost lunch and neither Fez nor Kitty had visited, her day was never complete without a good dose of guilt from Kitty about all of this; even Fez had begun to beg her about the counselling. Her roommate would probably start in on her as well if he ever showed his face. Mina had asked about him this morning and how she was dealing with him as a roommate concern blossoming in her eyes, she really was sweet.

KNOCK, KNOCK.

She knew it was Mrs. Forman even before her head came through; she could smell her special sponge cake from where she was sitting, her notebook on her lap.

"Morning Sweetie! How was your first little sleepover; stay up all night telling ghost stories?"

Her eyes were darting across the room taking in the closed curtain and lack of blood on the walls; it mustn't have gone too badly. Jackie rolled her eyes, jabbing her thumb towards the curtain.

"Mr. Popularity hasn't said a word since he was bought in last night, Mina asked about him earlier, he had a fight with his doctor and it woke me up- he sounds like a real grouch. I probably wake up to find him smothering me with a pillow."

Kitty laughed nervously inching back on her heels to peek around to the other bed feeling alarmed at the rumpled sheets that held no one. The toilet flushed and she breathed a sigh of relief that he hadn't just walked right out. He seemed surprised when he opened the door and she was smiling at him her fingers clutching a plastic container.

"Hey Mrs. Forman."

In the movies this would be when tumbleweeds blew past the screen and the crickets chirped; but those movies never had Jackie Burkhardt in them. Her breathing hitched for a second before she could talk, so many different words clawed at her throat begging to be heard.

"What is he- I don't- he can't- why would they?" She took a deep breath, her eyes closed as she tried to get her thoughts in order. "What is he doing here?"

The container was hard to balance on one hand, Kitty smiled her right hand shaking in the air.

"Surprise!"

***

**A/N: Hey guys, hope you are all still checking this out, next chapter promises to be explosive- Hyde and Jackie locked in the same room for 36 hours??? I'm back at Uni as of Monday but hopefully updates wont be too irregular- I will need a break in between all of my long ass readings! As always please leave a review, they are awesome. **


	8. Pushing On

**DISCLAIMER: Ownage belongs to people that are not I. **

**Ch8…**_**Pushing On**_

_*******_

Never ever again. She was done, finished this was over, and she would never do this again. Of course that was a lie, but it comforted her in the moment so she let it linger. Eventually she would have to leave the save cocoon of blankets and go see Hyde, how would that conversation go she wondered. Hey, by any chance were you dumber than a Kelso and failed to abide by the basement credo; don't be a fool, wrap your tool and knock up Sam thus ruining your life far beyond anything you had ever done? Somehow she can't see that coming out all too well, she was tempted to just take the cowards way out and write a nice letter hand it to Mr and Mrs Forman and run like hell, once in a while Kelso did get a not totally stupid idea. Unfortunately the friend in her couldn't screw Hyde over like that; she had this little nagging voice in the back of her mind that told her that this was her punishment for becoming everything that was stereotypical about her hair colour; vapid and bitchy, it was like as though when the bleach was stripping her hair of its colour her personality and personal belief system had been removed as well. She groaned into her pillow ignoring the crinkle of paper under their; Eric's latest letter, she still wasn't brave enough to open it, she didn't deserve the words of comfort it was sure to bring.

"Oh hey Donna, your dad wanted me to wake you up he wants us to have a family breakfast this morning, he's making waffles and ice cream."

Pam must have been up for hours already, her hair all full and bouncy was definitely not straight from bed, Pam Macy her stepmother. Dante was right, there was a special place in hell reserved for traitors and she was living there right now.

***

Commies, Democrats, Free Loaders, Hippies, Foreigners, Sissy Boys; there were many things Red Forman hated, being told what to do was definitely one of them. And yet he was sitting in his kitchen, his hands strangling the cup of coffee in front of him as he waited for Steven's biological father to show up. Kitty had gone ahead to the hospital to ensure that WB had a son to visit, at present moment he only had a dumbass parading as a son.

"Red."

He always liked someone who didn't bother with fake pleasantries.

"WB."

It was times like this you could actually see a resemblance between father and son, the grimace, crumpled shoulders and crinkled eyes are identical.

"What the hell is going on?"

The expelled breath turned into a throaty laugh that hacked towards the end.

"I think that's a question that's been asked a lot lately, when I know the answer I'll let you know. Although I think your son knows; or at least what caused it."

The coffee was now cold and unappetizing, Red frowned as he choked it down, he'd need it later.

"Where is the reason I'm going to be the first bald black man?"

Red's frowned deepened and his hand came up to pat his own bald head absently which he tried to pass off as scratching. WB smiled wanly at him waiting for an answer he was sure he wouldn't like.

"Point Place District Hospital; the dumbass fell off the water tower, Kitty convinced the doctor Steven needed to be kept in for a few days, we put him on suicide watch but really we just want the boy to dry out for a few days."

WB's lips pursed and his hands tightened into fists as his sides.

"He's allowed visitors I presume, I really need to talk to him about a few things, and apparently my secretary has misplaced a few memos, perhaps a wedding announcement as well."

Red jerked his head towards the pot of cold coffee.

"You're going to need that, you see your son is for lack of a more insulting word, a dumbass."

WB listened with his eyes closed as Red told him of his son's activities over the last few months, it was lucky Steven was already in hospital, he'd be needing one once WB was through with him.

"Thanks Red, would you mind taking me their, my hands can't stop shaking with rage. Not only has my son married a stripper, he got her pregnant and decreased our sales figures compared to last year!"

Red shook his head with a mirthless laugh before pausing, his skin taking on a sickly pallor.

"He got Sam what? Is he trying to give me another heart attack? I'm going to shove my feet so far up his ass he'll be giving them a polishing them with his tongue!"

***

Hyde didn't have the capability to function at the present time, his mind had overloaded. Somehow he was back in his bed, his blankets tucked up to his chin and an IV drip in his arm. The last thing he remembered was Mrs. Forman's jazz fingers and then the ugly linoleum of the hospital floor as his face greeted it. Logic stood that he had passed out, why? One word; Jackie. The curtain separated them had been pulled back and he could see from the corner of his eye that she was sitting up, her knees hugged against her, a small book opened in front of her. Her lips were moving but no sound was coming out of them, Mrs. Forman was nowhere to be seen.

"Uh, Jackie?"

Great, raspy voice, ways to sound like you're upstairs with a knife. She turned to him slowly her hair following around her shoulders, her lips parted slightly in an 'o'.

"Uh, what?"

Okay there was definitely slight bitchiness there.

"Could you pass me the water? Please?"

He followed her eyes to the pitcher of water next to his head, she seemed to be debating with herself.

"Fine."

It sloshed out of the glass as she thrust it towards him but he didn't complain, he was still in shock that she was here, in this ward, with him.

"What are you doing here?"

She hadn't pulled the curtain closed, he took that as a good sign, but then again she had already been here, what- a week? She was probably starved for company; Donna said she refused to see anyone but Fez.

"That's none of your business. Mrs. Forman just went to get you some jell-o, she'll be back in a minute if you think you can last that long without barfing in my presence."

He winced, she was bitter, he would be too. Of course she had no idea what had been going on since she had collapsed on the basement stairs and he could literally feel his hair line recede in panic and worry.

"If you even think about apologizing to me I will hurt you."

His mouth closed with quiet pop and he swallowed hard. He never was good with words whatever he managed to say probably wouldn't have resembled an apology anyway.

"Did you ever feel like you just woke up and the last few months were a really bad hangover?"

Her pen scratched against the paper, her teeth assaulting her lip.

"No unlike some people I know I don't find alcohol and weed interchangeable with oxygen."

She seemed oddly fixated on that notebook; he had a vague recollection of seeing it peek out of her bag. His eyes burned with curiosity; what had her so absorbed?"

"It's not interchangeable, just merely as important."

Probably not the right thing to be focusing on at this juncture.

"Look Jackie, I wanted to tell you that you were right. Sam-"

"I really don't want to hear this. You've already made a mockery of everything I ever wanted, don't dirty it anymore."

Her emotions had seeped into those words and she had sounded, sad and lost. He hated himself for being the cause. He really hated himself, Kelso was right, a sure sign of the apocalypse, he had hurt Jackie the worst, he found no pride in that, and he thought himself better than that. This must be how Red and Kitty had seen him since he had returned from Vegas that thought disgusted him the most.

"I screwed up-"

"I think that's an understatement son. Care to tell me why I just had a young woman by the name of Samantha try to extort money from me as compensation for my son knocking her up and kicking her to the curb?"

Spots, swirly white spots were all he could see, his ears buzzed but over that he could hear the snort, that Jackie always had insisted was ladylike because it was hers.

"Congratulations Hyde, you're officially the King."

***

Fez was ready to pull out Kelso's hair, even if it was perfectly coiffed and it would ruin his overall perfection. At first he had been grateful when he had shown up at the apartment offering to drive Fez to the hospital, had helped him secure the care package he had made for his Goddess; magazines, flowers, chocolates, nail polishes and a photo of himself. But he had begun his begging once his seat belt had been clicked into place.

"I will try but I make no promises. Jacqueline is very fragile, and I promised her I would keep her safe from everybody. I will ask but I make no guarantees."

Undeterred he presented Fez with a tear stained letter that read Jackie in warped letters.

"Can you give her this please?"

Kelso had a death grip that was renowned, Fez's hand ached under the strain.

"Ai! Yes now let go of me you fantastically strong son of a bitch!"

The care package basket carefully balanced in front of him Fez made his way to her room, his stomach turning in worry as he neared, the shouts of the rooms occupants booming through the halls.

"Aii! My foot!"

The package crushed down, his head spinning wildly from a relatively calm Jackie staring blankly at the wall, to an equally blank faced Hyde who was being shaken by his father who was being encouraged by Red who was being restrained from helping by Kitty.

"What the hell is going on in here?"

Fez sat down in the guest chair at the loud authoritative voice of the nurse, she looked pissed.

"That's what I'd like to know."

Fez had never been so overjoyed to see someone in his life. His friend was nearly bowled over as he pounced on him sobbing into his shoulder.

"Oh thank god you're here, Eric. Everybody has gone crazy!"

The unofficial leader of the basement gang looked down at his foreign friend and than around the room.

"Yeah, I can see that."

***

**Many apologies over how long it took to update, I blame UNI, who gets given assignments on the first day? Plus I have had 5 parties in the last 2 weeks. Anyways, hopefully you guys are still with this. Reviews will remind me to update, yes I am being a shameless review whore. Please feed my addiction =)**


	9. Seeing Things

**DISCLAIMER: My bank account would have a lot more zeroes in it if I owned this. **

**Ch9…**_**Seeing Things**_

*******

Kelso had always done things in a different order to everyone else, yet somehow it still surprised Donna when he bought his midlife crisis car when he was twenty. He loved that thing like a baby, at times she had even considered asking him which he would save from fire first; Betsy or the car, but she feared the answer. He may love that car but he also loved his friends, they were his family. So she probably shouldn't have been surprised to see that red car in the parking lot of the hospital, in the disabled parking no less. Kelso was drumming his fingers on the steering wheel to some song although his radio was silent. She watched him for a few minutes as always amazed at his ability to tune the rest of the world out before knocking on the glass.

"Hey big D, you here to see Jackie?"

She ignored the muffin of guilt poking at her, it's funny what you can get used to if it happens to you enough and shook her head.

"Hyde, do you know what floor he's on?"

Kelso's hair swung around his head like a halo, oh how images deceive.

"I dunno but Mrs. Forman is in there with Jackie she'll know."

That muffin was now more of a hacksaw and it wasn't so easy to ignore, she clutched Kelso's arm and yanked him from the car paying no attention to being careful on the door as she slammed it shut.

"You're coming with me."

He knew he should stay in the car, he knew he should respect her wishes; he knew a lot of things, that had never stopped him from doing the exact opposite of that.

"Sure Donna, wouldn't want you to get lost in there, you could get stranded for hours!"

She turned to her friend, oddly comforted by the fact that while everything else around her had changed she could always rely on Kelso to always be Kelso.

"Come on Kelso let's go see the rival for your crown."

***

No one had really noticed her, not after Eric arrived, the skinny geek had made a great entrance, it had rendered the room silent, for about thirty seconds. Amidst Kitty's crying, WB's threats and Red's growling Jackie had managed to slip from the room into the relative calm of the hallway, she could still hear what was happening in the room but out here she could let herself feel it. Why she wanted to let herself react to the news that Steven had married a stripper, gotten her pregnant and kicked her out she really didn't know. She hated herself for feeling anything in regards to the situation, she hated that her first reaction when the words left WB's mouth and made Hyde turn white was to crawl into his bed and hug his face to her chest stroking his hair. She couldn't cry, there were no tears in her for this because in truth she wasn't surprised, she doubted she could ever not feel something when Steven Hyde was concerned. There were footsteps coming towards her, she thought she could hear her name in the snatches of conversation she could hear approaching but she didn't care enough to look up from her arms where she had her head buried. The footsteps stopped in front of her, she could just barely see the tips of the muddied runners but it was enough for her to know that Michael Kelso was standing before her.

"Jackie, are you okay, what's going on in there?"

That was Donna, her hand on the back of Jackie's head patting softly probably trying to peer around her and into the still loud room. She jerked her head up quickly and looked into Donna's eyes for the first time in weeks, possibly months. The look of sadness mixed with pity made Jackie recoil, she shrunk away from her crawling towards the door, she didn't want those eyes on her skin, and it made her feel dirty. Kelso sunk to his knees and grabbed her shoulders before she could escape into her room, back into the madness.

"I'm so sorry Jackie, this is all my fault, I didn't mean to ruin everything."

This was too much, her head was spinning, Hyde and the baby and then Eric and now Donna and Kelso, it was too much. Her head felt big and her ears were buzzing, she felt numb all over, if she had eaten any of her food rather than flushing it down the toilet she would be throwing up. But as it were she didn't, she felt a sharp stabbing pain and gasped for breath before her eyes rolled back into her head and she stopped breathing.

***

He had to be fancy, no he couldn't just hang around with everybody else playing the harp and being mellow; he wanted a _purpose_. So now here he was yet again showing some kid why they needed to be around, why they shouldn't give up, hopefully this one wouldn't be as a big of a pain in the ass as that Forman kid had been. She seemed innocent enough, dark hair and small, like a doll. She hadn't asked who he was or why she was here, she just stared, what at was anyone's guess it was all a vast nothingness of white.

"Eric's going to be pissed, he thought the devil belonged in hell."

She had turned to eye him up and down, the white suit, the goatee and hair. Evidently she was unimpressed.

"You're God? I'm guessing you didn't invent a mirror and after you created yourself?"

She was a feisty one; great this was going to be fun.

"You think God spends the afterlife in a cheap suit talking to snotty kids? I'm an Angel baby, I've been sent here to show you why you shouldn't give up, your friends need you."

The small girl snorted, coughing a little from the force of it. She shook her head emphatically.

"Yeah right, I don't have any friends, not anymore."

The Angel smirked, he loved this part. He held his fingers up and clicked, instead of the white they were now in a hospital, Jackie watched in fascination as Donna paced a small waiting room where Kitty was sobbing against Red, Kelso was crying on Eric's shoulder and Fez had his face buried in Eric's lap.

"What is this?"

She turned to the Angel who was cleaning his teeth with his nail.

"The present of course, they're waiting to see if you're going to die. For a girl who has no friends that bunch of people look mighty worried to me."

She shrugged, walking past Eric and peering over at Kelso carefully.

"Guilt does funny things to people. I see Steven's not here. Where is he shouting it from the rooftop? Or is he skipping down the hall singing _Ding Dong the wicked witch is dead_?"

He clicked his fingers and again the area around them changed, taking the familiar form of the room Jackie had been calling home for the last week. Hyde lay in his bed, restrained staring up at the ceiling with a vacant expression, a tube snaked from his arm to an IV pumping a clear liquid into him. Mina was speaking softly to WB who peered over to Steven with a worried expression on his face.

"Does this thing come with volume control?"

The Angel rolled his eyes and twirled his finger, the voices of Mina and WB instantly rising.

"Are you sure this is necessary?"

Mina sighed looking across at Steven.

"The doctor insisted, the sedative should start to affect him in a few minutes and he'll fall asleep, hopefully we'll know something about Jackie by then."

WB shook his head slowly, a rueful smile decorating his face.

"I hope so."

Jackie turned to glare at the Angel as the two left the room.

"What the hell were they talking about? Why was Steven sedated?"

The Angel leant back against Jackie's empty bed his elbows propped behind him.

"When you collapsed he went into a fit, it took three orderlies to hold him down."

"But why?"

The Angel looked at her, his eye brows crinkled in confusion, surely she wasn't so blind, so naïve.

"He's scared you're going to die and leave him."

Jackie scoffed, looking at the Angel nonplussed.

"He wouldn't care if I never woke up; I'd be doing them all a favour."

She winced as the Angel cracked his fingers, muttering under his breath.

"I love this part."

He held his right hand up and clicked the sound louder than it should have been, it vibrated in her ears. Jackie looked around in confusion as the hospital interior morphed into the Forman basement. Eric reclined on the couch watching the TV. Jackie stared at him, he looked older and sadder, he had bags under his eyes and his whole body seemed sad, just sunken into itself.

"Eric get your lazy butt up here."

Jackie smiled inwardly at Red's voice, he was still around, as abrasive as always. He too was older, his face lined, his back stooped. Kitty was grey and carrying at least a good twenty pounds, her face slack, as though it hadn't smiled in years.

"Where is everybody? Those guys are like cats, they always know when to come for food. And why does Eric look so old?"

The Angel shrugged, patting down his suit, removing invisible lint. Jackie's eyes widened in anger and she kicked the Angel in the shin, huffing. He yelped in pain.

"Gees, try patience young one, it's one of the heavenly virtues."

Jackie raised her foot experimentally, satisfied when the Angel shied away and gestured at the door which opened to allow Donna into the small kitchen.

"Oh my-"

"Shh!"

The Angel glared at her; she rolled her eyes in response.

"I was going to say goodness! But Donna, she's fat! I know I always joked about her giant feet and inhaling food but I never thought she'd need a crane to help her sit down!"

The chair creaked under Donna's weight, Eric patted her hand nervously, kissing her cheek.

"Hey honey."

She grunted in reply and reached for the gravy, dosing her steak with it. Jackie turned to the Angel who smiled innocently at her.

"Get with the explaining. Where's Fez? He would never miss a steak dinner and neither would Steven it's his favourite."

"Well Fez moved to Chicago with Kelso, he's a live in nanny for Betsy. Kelso is working as the towel boy at the Playboy Mansion."

Jackie smiled at that, sounds like those two had the perfect life. She gestured to the small family.

"And them?"

"Donna's pregnant, Eric still lives at home. Kitty is still a nurse, but only to Red for his weak heart."

Jackie felt slightly odd walking around the room, its occupants completely oblivious to her.

"But Donna's not wearing a ring. Aren't she and Eric engaged?"

"He's too scared, and now that she's pregnant when he finally did she went into a tirade about him being pressured into it."

Something inside her felt like laughing but she didn't, it wasn't funny.

"And Steven? Where's he?"

The click sounded like thunder and the kitchen grew dark. Her feet felt cold against the wet grass which clung to her knees as she fell down.

"How?"

Her fingers reached forward to trace over the lettering. Here Lies Steven J. Hyde. Beloved Son and Friend.

"Car accident. After you died, he drove up to your spot in the woods and drank two cases of beer and then tried to drive home. He wrapped his El Camino around a pole, ruptured his spleen. He was unconscious for hours before someone found him, he died in hospital three days later."

The blades of grass stuck to legs as she stood, looking into the eyes of the Angel.

"Is this supposed to make me feel all guilty and then demand to live? Because it doesn't."

"You kids you're never happy. You're living, the rest of us, up there? We just watch. But you, you can live your life. You can make decisions, make mistakes. We have to watch and once in a while intervene and help. And you don't want it. What do you want because I don't think you really want to die."

She breathed out as she closed her eyes, feeling cold.

"Honestly, I don't know anymore, just not this."

The Angel sighed and pursed his lips.

"Great, give me your hand, I need to show you something. Since you are suffering from the 'oh-poor-me's' I'm going to help you."

Jackie looked at the Angel's hand dubiously before placing her palm in his lightly.

"Where are you taking me now?"

He smiled at her conspiratorially.

"Back to the beginning."

***

**Hey guys, feel special another update so soon! I've just had my work schedule upped so I will be having less free time but more money. It's sacrifice but I forebear. Please review for me!**


	10. Looking Back

**DISCLAIMER: Seriously guys, come on. I wouldn't have left it as Jackie-Fez!**

**Ch10…**_**Looking Back**_

*******

WB coughed as he looked around the interior of the _Frisky Kitten_, the bartender was cleaning glasses and although the place was empty smoke still hung in the air.

"Do you know where I can find Sam?"

The bartender shrugged, not bothering to look up. The girl practicing on the pole in the centre of the room climbed down and walked towards him, he tried to keep the disdain from showing on his face, you shouldn't piss off the people you need help from.

"You're looking for Sam?"

She was younger than he expected, very small, she was dressed modestly in tight shorts and a singlet, her hair pulled tight in a ponytail. Given she made her living making men drool he wasn't sure he could trust the kindness in her eyes.

"Yes I am" He grimaced, "Unfortunately."

She laughed curtly, her ponytail swinging behind her head from the movement. She placed her hand on his arm to steady herself.

"I see she failed to win you over as well. What did she do this time?"

WB raised one eyebrow and slouched closer to the girl nodding to an empty table to the right of them.

"Now what do you mean by that?"

The girl smirked crossing her arms across her chest as she leaned back into her seat.

"Let's just say you wouldn't be the first guy to come looking for her. Normally we girls stick together but Sam isn't one of us. She and that crazy friend of hers; Caroline act like they're better than everyone else."

"Let me assure you that that definitely is not the case, at least with Sam. I had the distinct displeasure to find out she was married to my son."

"You're Larry's dad? Are you sure because unless you own the fountain of youth I somehow doubt that you're the father of a fifty year old."

His jaw fell slack opening slightly from shock. The small girl sitting across from him was watching him intently; her face remained still though not showing her emotions.

"My son's name is Steven Hyde and he married Sam a few months ago in Vegas. I don't know anyone named Larry and I'm very interested in the one you believe to be married to Sam."

The girl moved her head, cracking her neck, her lips pursed slightly in thought.

"I'll tell you all about our little Sam, but first you're going to have to do something for me."

He felt his face tighten and he scowled slightly, what was he getting himself into?

"And what would that be?"

"Buy me lunch; this place's idea of food gives me high school flashbacks."

WB smiled broadly, reaching over the table to shake the girl's hand.

"Now that I can do. I'm WB."

The girl's grip was surprisingly strong for someone so slight.

"Eliza, now about Larry, I was working this convention in Vegas."

***

The Angel looked back over at Jackie, she was in the same position as before, one hand on a jutted out hip, a scowl decorating her face and a glare directed straight at him. She didn't look away as the space around them melded and took the form of the Forman living room. The loud voices of five friends filled the air and she broke off her glare to watch them. The Angel breathed out quickly; she was going to be tough.

Eric was staring down a mound of wrapping paper, a fake smile plastered across his face as he looks down at the last present being thrust into his hands by Donna. Kelso elbowed Fez, the two smiling widely, what they thought the box held was better not being known. Jackie rolled her eyes and turned to the Angel.

"That dye really must be seeping into her brain! She knows she should give Eric his present when they're alone. I told her-"

"Ah!" The Angel laughed, clapping his hands. "But this time around you didn't, you're not here. Donna didn't have you around to yell at her."

He gestured back towards Eric whose face still held that fake smile as he stared down at the shirt Donna had given him, it was black with green and gold vines printed on it. She smiles anxiously and Kitty claps her hands together quickly, laughing heartily.

"Oh isn't that lovely! Eric sweetie it's time to cut the cake!"

Kitty grabbed Eric's hand and pulls him to the table, Fez and Kelso following behind eagerly.

The scene changes and Jackie looks around the driveway jumping out of the way of the basketball that came down.

"Relax, they can't see you remember?"

Jackie glared at the Angel once more, wasn't smugness or pride one of the seven deadly sins?"

He coughs and looks pointedly at Eric who had the ball in his hands and was yelling at Donna who was scowling at him.

"All I did was beat you at a few lousy games! What do you want me to do; pretend like I can't beat your ass so you can have your pathetic male pride? God, Eric I thought you were better than that!"

Jackie groaned as the two continued yelling at each other before Donna threw the other basketball at Eric's head and disappeared through the bushes to her own house. Eric cursed and threw the basketball at the hoop missing entirely.

"Donna and Eric are fighting, that's hardly a change, if anything me not being here will get teach them all about the wonders of angry sex."

The Angel let out a little huff of annoyance, his hands shaking in the air.

"No without you Jackie they never get together. They never would have danced together at the disco in Kenosha because you weren't there to make everyone go. You weren't with Michael so they never went to the drive in and made out. They never took that trip to your ski cabin-"

The Angel's voice becomes muffled as Jackie's hand comes to rest over his mouth.

"I get it. So Donna never gets it together with the string bean. So what, they're broken up now anyway, what does it matters, if anything I saved them both a whole lot of heartache."

She pulled her hand from his mouth and stared at the Forman house, a dull ache in her chest.

"Besides without me there everybody else would still be around; Eric would never go to Africa and Kelso would never have knocked up Brooke and gone to Chicago and Hyde- without me he would never have gone to Vegas and married a whore. Everybody else would be better off."

"Not exactly."

Jackie blinked still not used to the sudden shift around her as they moved through time and space. Maybe she really was dead and this was all just a big joke.

"Where am I now?" Her voice came out nonplussed but she was curious, the darkened house was slightly creepy and she jumped when the lights flicked on revealing an exhausted Kelso shuffling to the kitchen, a drowsy toddler clutching to his neck.

"Is that-"

The Angel held a finger to his lips and shook his head, tapping the other hand towards Kelso who was expertly fixing a bottle for the young child.

"Michael, I'm hungry can you make toasts with anchovies?"

Jackie shuddered, oh how she had wished she could forget that voice. Looking to the stairs a very pregnant looking Pam Macy waddled down the first few steps, her hair pulled back in a sloppy ponytail.

"No way."

Jackie held her hand up and the scene before her froze, the Angel was grinning his big stupid grin.

"Without you around Kelso here got together with Pam, you're the one that taught him all about birth control; Pam wasn't so smart or careful; she's not even sure the baby is Kelso's." The Angel clicked both of his fingers dissolving their surroundings to nothing. Jackie shuddered at the coolness, her skin flushing as it registered the warm breeze. Her hands clamped over her ears Jackie took in the crowded marketplace, careful to step around the animals and people all squashed together. In the back corner she could hear the familiar sound of Fez humming Styx, dressed in nothing but shorts, his hair longer and shaggier than she was used to she frowned.

"After Kelso knocked up Pam his foster parents thought he had been exposed to the devil worshippers and sent him back home. Now he cuts hair in his home village and he's still a virgin."

Jackie gasped and stared at her friend the slightest feeling of guilt coming through.

"Oh Fezzy, I'm sorry."

She reached out to stroke his cheek surprised when her hand fell through the image as it faded, a dank house instead taking his place. She jumped back in surprise bumping into the Angel making him fall.

"Why do I get the distinct feeling I've been here before."

"Because you have dear Jackie."

Looking around the ramshackle house she took in a deep breath and sighed.

"Steven."

***

The vodka sloshed from the glass as it clinked against Caroline's. Her friend shrieked with laughter earning glares from some of the harder hitting patrons.

"Caroline, shh! I'm not supposed to be drinking, I'm pregnant remember!"

Sam stared at her friend, her face firmly set for a few seconds before she too collapsed in a fit of giggles.

"I'd like to propose a toast to my friend Caroline for her brilliant plan!"

Sam drained her glass looking at the curly haired girl from across the top of it. They had bonded fairly quickly, the other girls avoided 'Crazy Caroline' for being well, crazy. The other girls had never really taken to her either, not that she minded they were all so boring and untalented, Caroline was fun, and she had great ideas.

"Where did you get that positive test anyway?"

Caroline slapped her hand against her thigh and laughed, chewing loudly on the popcorn from the bar.

"I grabbed one from the doctor's when I was there to get my pills refilled. You never know when you might need to fake a pregnancy!"

Sam brushed her shoulder against Caroline's snorting in agreement.

"Lucky for me! You know I'd be so screwed if it weren't for you! You've helped me out so much." She rested her arm over her friend's shoulder and squeezed, the alcohol making her sleepy. Caroline rested her head on top of Sam's and stroked her arm.

"You're my best friend; we're going to be friends forever."

Her nails dug into Sam's arm, little half moons appearing in the flesh. Sam's eyes fell closed as Caroline mumbled scratching absently at her wrist with its faint scar, a small love heart with a 'C' and a 'F'.

***

Fez was counting ceiling tiles when Dr. Evans finally appeared in the waiting room clearing his throat. Kitty pounced on him, a steady stream of questions falling from her mouth, overlapped by the voices of Donna and Kelso.

"Ah, goddammit, would you all shut up and let the man talk?"

Red stared at the group expectantly until they all quieted down. Turning back to the doctor he smiled; that was the first sign that something was wrong.

"Now you tell us exactly what went wrong with Jackie and how you dumbasses let it happen and plan on fixing it."

The doctor remained unfazed by Red's manic eyed threat and focused on Kitty.

"Jackie went into heart failure, her potassium levels are dangerous, we think she's been throwing up her food when alone. We won't know more until she wakes up, her heart stopped for a minute, there may be brain damage."

Red pulled Kitty towards him, burying her face in his chest muffling her sobs. Donna slipped her hand into Eric's on one side and Kelso's on the other. Fez remained seated looking on. This wasn't real; this stuff didn't happen to goddesses. Or at least it shouldn't, God really was a son of a bitch.

***

Hey guys, hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm dedicating it to Andy Hallett AKA Lorne in ANGEL who died of heart failure yesterday, he was 33. He was one of my favourite parts of Angel. As always R&R!


	11. Facing Up

**DISCLAIMER: All recognizable characters and places are owned by people whose bank accounts hold many more zeroes than mine.**

**Chapter 12… **_**Facing Up**_

*******

The room smelled musty, like fermented beer that had soaked into the carpet and cushions long ago. The floor seemed to be constructed of empty pizza boxes and beer cans and the door to the barely used kitchen hung at an angle. It resembled the place she vaguely remembered visiting after skinny dipping.

"Why would you bring me here, Hyde hasn't lived here in years, he moved in with the Forman's when I was still with Michael."

That stupid smarmy smirk. Should Angels even be allowed to smirk, sure God was all knowing but weren't angels meant to be all about the kindness and peace loving, not annoying. If they were all like this she might have to break all the bells she could find so they wouldn't get their wings. Maybe she was the devil, even Eric had to be right about something once.

"Haven't you been listening at all? Just having you in their lives has caused ripples. Knowing you made things different. Without you Donna and Eric never got together meaning Donna would never agree to go skinny dipping which means the gang never went to Hyde's place and realized how bad things had gotten. Hyde was too stubborn to let them know and when they did start asking questions he pulled away, no one has spoken to him in years. He's the town recluse, comes out only for beer and cigarettes."

Jackie walked slowly towards the door that was firmly shut as the Angel spoke, each word chipping away at her resolve; she had to see for herself. The door was lodged in the jamb and creaked as she threw her weight into it forcing it open. Sprawled across the makeshift bed of an old springy mattress was someone that resembled Steven Hyde but couldn't possible be Steven Hyde. He wore the same clothes and the same stupid porn star moustache. Her breathing hitched as she recognized the faded black shirt he wore; identical to the one that was wedged under her mattress at home, she could feel it through all the layers of her bed even though she knew she shouldn't be able to. Her fingers itched to poke him, vomit stained the floor near his bed and more beer bottles and cans covered the floor, a thin layer of dust coating it.

"How could WB let him live like this? What about Grooves?"

Her voice sounded small, like it was coming from very far away, of all the things that she had seen this had been the one that made her feel. She kind of hated herself for that.

"He doesn't know, he never fell off the water tower because Eric and Donna never had a wedding. Kitty never looked at the birth certificate; no one even knows that WB exists. As far as Hyde is concerned he is the product of a drunken night between Bud and Edna and he's living the life they always said he would."

Jackie felt the urge to throw up, it bubbled in her throat and made her dizzy, and the room was spinning. She fell to her knees; her eyes squeezed shut, the urge clawing at her, tears squeezed at her eyes.

"Stop, make it stop. Just make it all stop."

When she opened her eyes she was surrounded again by nothingness, the urge to vomit still lingering.

"You're needed Jackie, without you everything goes to hell."

There it was again, that hard anchor of anger that was now permanently attached to her, pulling her back down into its depths.

"What do you expect me to do? Just go back to living my life and pretend like the last few months haven't been the most painful experience I've ever had? Pretend that my friends didn't all abandon me when I needed them most? Act like nothing has changed?"

Her hair whipped around her face as she spun, the anger pouring into her limbs, which flailed as she yelled, any and all pent up frustration finally come to the surface and finding a voice.

"They may need me in their lives but I don't need them in mine and I don't want them, so what if they all care now, they didn't when it mattered most. I don't want their pity and their guilt. I just want to be left alone, I've been fine without them so far, and I obviously don't need them in my life like they need me."

Her voice was icy, intended to freeze the supposed Angel. If he was her guardian Angel shouldn't he be making her feel better? Maybe heaven wasn't as full of angels and unicorns as she thought.

"Jackie you need your friends more than you know."

She watched as he jiggled his fingers, she knew what was coming, but what was left for her to see?

"But I am going to know, you're about to show me aren't you?"

She felt momentary satisfaction at his sour look, the tiniest of victories. He pointed a finger at her.

"Shut up and watch, oh and try to keep your mouth shut while you're at it."

The room was spinning and shifting before she could respond.

***

The waiting room was as lively as a morgue; Fez had gone very quiet, mumbling unintelligible things under his breath while stroking Kelso's hair, the man himself fast asleep on his shoulder. Kitty was snoring loudly her head cocked back, a thin line of drool trailing from her mouth, an empty cup of coffee had fallen from her palm, she had downed the whole cup not aware of the sedatives Red had bribed the Doctor to dose it with. He had only been gone a few months but it seemed like everybody had aged years. Red looked tired, his face sagging and lined, all angled down, his clothes rumpled. He seemed to be taking all of this harder than anyone expected, Jackie was still unconscious and Hyde was in what the Doctor's called catatonia, or as Kelso so helpfully pointed out; a horse's ass sized freak out. He then went on to explain how Hyde's brain must have rotated just like that chick's head in _The Exorcist_. Normally he would have laughed, possibly made some form of sarcastic comment and/or commanded that the stupid helmet be forced upon his friend's head, but not now, not here.

"Did you want some coffee?"

It took a few minutes for his question to be processed, and another few minutes for Red to drag his eyes from the floor to lock on his own, the haunted look that rest there scared him more than any of the foot up the ass threats he had had bestowed upon him since birth.

"No."

He nodded, his teeth chewing on the inner skin of his mouth, he had been standing for a few minutes before he even realized he wanted to go anywhere. Not really paying attention his feet directed him away from the rest. He wasn't surprised when he found himself sitting in a chair, his elbows resting on the scratchy blanket that covered his almost- brother's legs.

"At least you guys didn't throw me a welcome home party that would have sucked."

His voice sounded weird, like it was disturbing the room, it was so cold, and it demanded silence. Hyde's eyes were closed, his face contorted in some kind of pain, he was not in a restful sleep.

"Why didn't anyone tell me what was really going on? I came back, I came back to make things right, but I can't, only you can do that so you have to wake up Hyde. You have to wake up and sort everything out, because all this Zen crap is killing you. It's a poison; it's killing you and its killing Jackie and everyone else. Zen is like the Death Star; nothing good comes from it."

Hyde's hands bunched the blankets up in his fists, his left hand jerking slightly when he spoke her name.

"He's not the only one that needs to fix things."

His back stiffened slightly at the voice, relaxing minutely when he felt her come to stand behind him.

"Everything's different now Eric, we're not the same people we were."

"Yeah I worked that out when out of all the people that could have spoken to me, it was Laurie who let me know what was really going on around here. Did you know that she used to work with Sam back in Vegas? She was there the night they met, didn't think anything of it until Dad told her about the marriage when she called for his birthday. How could you let him stay with her? I don't understand it, the Donna I know would never let her friend do that, and especially not when it would hurt another friend, even if that friend is the devil!"

His voice held a sarcastic edge that was not unusual, but it was aimed to hurt. She breathed in deeply.

"Things change Eric, people change."

"Not this much, hanging out with a stripper Donna? That's not you, it's like I'm in an alternate reality, maybe Red's going to adopt a communist baby and Fez will give up pleasure time!"

His hands were shaking, she reached out to grab them, fold them into her own but he shied away from her. She felt stricken, sick; she had to get out of here. The chair scrapped noisily across the floor, her foot steps thudding in her haste to leave.

"Don't run away Donna, you should know by now it only makes things worse."

Her hand resting on the door jam she paused, feeling torn. Eric's eyes were closed and he held his breath. Her feet shuffled and he sighed when he heard her feet retreat into the hallway. Reaching over he patted Hyde's hand expelling a large breath.

"About Sam, there's something you should know."

***

Donna had bolted through the waiting room, nothing more than a red blur and a hiccuping sob. Fez had looked at Red whose mouth was set in a firm line before settling his gaze back on the ceiling's yellowed tiles. There were supposed to be five stages of grief; at least according to Jackie's _Cosmo_, the real bible. He had been through the denial that there was anything wrong, he had gotten angry next came bargaining. He had found himself promising obscene things in exchange for his Goddess to come back to him, he would give up candy. He was not looking forward to the next two stages; depression and acceptance. He knew he would never reach that fifth stage, he would never accept that Jackie could die. She was going to be fine, his Goddess could survive anything.

"No, I don't want humble pie!"

Kelso was shuddering against his shoulder. He slapped his man pretty friend lightly across the face which only seemed to aggravate him more. The smack that his hand made was loud, loud enough to quiet the rest of the waiting room, the nurses turning to stare. Kelso himself was now wide awake, looking around the room quickly; the small light in his eyes extinguished and his shoulders slumped, his fingers playing with the metal lighter from his pocket.

"Aw, hell. Hey Hajji get the fire away from evolution's missing link before he burns the hospital down."

The lighter disappeared into Kelso's pocket; his hand's folding over his lap within seconds. Fez swallowed the lump that was building in his throat, Red's words were almost pitch perfect, but it was forced, there was no satisfied glint in his eyes at catching them doing something stupid.

"We're transferring Jackie back to her room, there's not much we can do until she wakes up. You should all go home and get some rest, there's nothing more you can do here."

Two voices begun protesting at once, overlapping each other, quieting only when Red put his fingers to his mouth and let out an ear piercing whistle.

"You heard the doctor and unless you want to be admitted for foot from ass removal surgery you 'll get your dumb asses home."

The two boys nodded slowly, their lips pulled in to each other tightly. Red closed his eyes and breathed out slowly, his eyes fluttered back open and he turned to glare at the two retreating backs.

"Your own homes!"

The doctor looked down at him quizzically while Red cleared his throat.

"Cut the crap Doc, what do we do now?"

"I honestly don't know Red. The girl needs help, she needs to realise that, and fast."

***

His vision felt fuzzy, kind of like he had hit the circle too many times in a day, only he was completely sober. He could vaguely recall being in his hospital room and seeing Jackie, there was something else pulling at him as well, something important but he couldn't bring himself to care about it. Jackie was permeating his thoughts, he was used to that, most of the time he could pretend that he had pushed her into the deepest recesses of his mind but now, here, trapped in his mind he couldn't escape it. All he could see was her cold eyes, the tremble of her mouth when Sam arrived and the hurt her whole body showed when she first saw them together. It was playing through his mind over and over again, coupled with his guilt and regret. One image flashing over them again and again, Jackie crumpled in the hallway, skinnier than she should be, her heart not beating. Something had happened between seeing her in the hospital room and her collapse in the hallway but he found himself more concerned with Jackie. The questions that had been circling his mind earlier repeating loudly, how had things gotten so bad, and how had nobody noticed? He really was scum; guess Edna was right about something. Her words, he had been humming them for days now seemed permanently seared into his brain.

_Knowing all the ins and outs of you_

_Should have known what was on your mind _

Yeah he should have, he used to know every little thing about Jackie, like how she had a favourite spoon that she ate with and no once else could use. And now he knew nothing.

_I will fall into the darkness _

_And I fear I will never see the light._

He was blind, he should have seen it. God he's had her heart playing on repeat for days, her soul begging him to see what was obviously there.

_How does one alone against the world_

_Find the strength to carry on? _

Selfish, so busy listening to his insecurities and the whispers of petty people with petty lives he forgot about the truth and what had been right in front of him. I love you. He had heard those words from her every morning and every night. To make up for all the times their parents never said it to them, that's what she had told him but that wasn't it. It was validation, proof that she could love, that she wasn't losing against the battle to still be able to feel, to not be numb like her parents.

_All that I wanted from you_

_Was something you'd never do_

How long ago had she written those words? Was it recent? Was it from the first time he shattered her heart, how long had she been fighting to just to breathe?

_Oh please tonight_

_Don't let this end_

It couldn't end this way, their story wasn't over, it had barely begun to be written, and this was just the obstacle they faced before the happy ending. This was their dragon, their wicked step mother. Where was her fairy godmother with her magic wand?

_Cause I'm starting to fall_

God, please don't let her have hit the bottom, there was still too much to be done, she was Jackie Burkhardt, she was too good for hospitals and dying. She was going to live forever; young and beautiful.

Please don't let this be the end, tonight.

***

Hey guys, HAPPY EASTER! Hope you enjoyed this mucho depressing chapter. After seven and a half hours of helping the customers at my work I was in a very grey mood which led to this burst of inspiration. Depression, Anorexia and Bulimia are serious conditions, please don't expect Jackie to wake up and be back to her bubbly bitchy self. She'll be putting in appearances but it's a long road ahead. As always please leave your awesome reviews; I'd prefer them to chocolate bunnies anyday!


	12. Living Hard

**DISCLAIMER: The Easter Bunny ignored my pleas for the rights of this show in lieu of eggs, ergo it still belongs to other people who aren't me. **

**Ch12…**_**Living Hard**_

*******

There really was only one place she could go, she was too ashamed to go back to the hospital, she couldn't go to the basement either, too many ghosts to add to her guilt. She had run blindly from the hospital not sure where she was going, just knowing that she had to put distance between herself and that place. This was not how she had imagined Eric's homecoming, there had been no 'not-really-a-surprise' surprise homecoming party and they hadn't run across the room to each other and kissed, a kiss full of their pent up feelings. She was still a girl, she was allowed these little fantasies that she shared with no one. Instead she was faced with shame and disappointment from the one person it would matter most from; her soul mate. She was chugging on the beer before she had even realized she had entered a bar and ordered the drink. Her hair plastered around her face from sweat, she didn't look like herself, her whole face seemed vacant. Slowly she begun to register her surroundings, recognising that this was the ugly bar Jackie had once dragged her to flirt with firemen. The beer left a bitter taste in her mouth and she felt the urge to vomit, the shriek of laughter making her drag her eyes from the water ringed bar to other side of the room where two women were drinking loudly. Their laughter rang in her ears making her ache, she knew that laughter, it had haunted her over the last few months. The girl's companion choked back a shot; her eyes prickling around the room, Donna bowed her head, shock calming her stomach. Her hand fumbled for her wallet to pay the barman. This wouldn't fix anything but it would help, it's what a real friend would do.

***

Walking into a waiting room with a giant smile on your face is generally only accepted if you're a doctor so when WB walked in, his face pulled tight from his mouth Red was suspicious. But then again Red was always suspicious. WB had taken a seat next to Red, after glancing down at a still unconscious Kitty who had begun to snore softly. Red shifted in his seat, settling his gaze on the man who most would never realize was the father of Steven Hyde.

"Stop smiling you look like an ass."

The sound of his laughter was booming, as was the hand that clapped Red on the shoulder, for his part Red looked perplexed and a little angry but that was usually evident on his face anyway.

"Red, it turns out that son of mine isn't as big a dumbass as we thought."

WB's chuckle reminded Red of a clown, he hates clowns. Red arched his neck, his left hand coming up to gesture to his face, his eyes boring into the other mans.

"I'm giddy, this is my giddy face."

The two were engaged in a staring contest, waiting for the other to crack first.

"Out with it before I kick it out from your ass to your mouth!"

His patience had dissolved months ago; all that was left was pure simmering jerk.

"Cheer up Red; I've got news that will turn that frown upside down."

The bald man's eyes raked over the other's form, suspicion marring his face.

"Have you been drinking?"

There was no hint of accusation in it, it was blatant, WB appreciated that.

"Well maybe just a little. I was celebrating; this is a day of jubilation."

Red looked around the bleak waiting room before dubiously setting his gaze back on WB.

"Have you looked around? We're in a hospital, one of my kids could be dying, and the other has dug himself a hole so deep the flames of hell are licking his ass. What are you celebrating?"

"Truth, freedom and all that hippie crap as you like to call it." WB clasped Red's hand. "I just had a very informative lunch about our dear Samantha. Allow me to enlighten you."

***

Fez's door creaked as he pulled it open, peeking out at Kelso's mop of hair on the couch, buried under fluffy blankets. Creeping forward he rested his arms against the back of the couch; Kelso looked so peaceful when he was sleeping. Settling his chin on his arms he sighed, at least one of them wasn't drowning.

"Aaah!"

The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was Fez's face, sitting up there was the unmistakable clunk as the two heads met.

"Damn it Fez! Don't do that!"

Kelso rubbed his forehead, now an angry shade of red that would most likely blossom into a bruise.

"You didn't mind when we lived together!"

"That's because I didn't know you did it! That's a little creepy little buddy."

Fez's pout was very pronounced; his lips trembling, chin jutted out, all that was missing were the bambi-esque eyes. Kelso's mouth set in a firm line, his arms crossing his chest as he shook his head in defiance.

"Nah huh, not going to work this time Fez. I've got a little girl doing that to me 24/7 I'm immune to it."

Kelso shook his head, his arms jiggling across his chest, after a few moments a wide grin burst across his face. His arms came loose as he pulled Fez's head against his chest.

"Aw, I can't stay mad at you! You haven't been coaching Betsy have you?"

Fez's fingers crossed behind his back and he smiled widely at his friend, rumpling his hair with his free hand.

"Of course not!"

Walking away his fingers unfolding from his back he opened the cupboard sad to see Jackie's all natural tastes like cupboard cereal lined up with his own sugary goodness. The apartment didn't smell like her perfume anymore, it smelt distinctly musky and not in a good way.

"It's time to get up my most handsome friend. We have much to do today!"

Kelso just looked confused at his friend who began walking around the apartment touching and moving things muttering under his breath the whole time. Looking over at the clock his eyes widened when he realized that they had been asleep for over twelve hours. The phone rang shrilly, in his haste Kelso forgot that his legs were tangled up in his blanket and landed on the floor with a thud, Fez picked up the phone where the caller was treated to a faint yelp.

"Ow! My eye!"

Fez shook his head choking on a laugh, the voice on the other end of the phone yelling loudly.

"Tell Kelso to shut up and get your asses over here, you won't want to miss this!"

One hand holding his face, Kelso turned to Fez, his face contorted in pain.

"Is Jackie awake?"

Fez shook his head, his eye brows crinkling together. Picking up Kelso's pants from the floor he threw them at his friend, stalking towards his room. It was a brand new day, who knows what would happen.

***

Her head was aching, the Angel's stupid smarmy voice playing on a loop; she already knew how this ended. She would see the error of her ways and beg to go back to make things right, she'd seen _It's A Wonderful Life_, surprisingly enough it was Hyde's favourite movie, not that anybody else knew that. She wouldn't admit that she was a little scared of what the Angel was going to show her next, a life without her friends, it couldn't be worse than it already was now.

"Where are we?"

It was freezing and the wind was whipping her hair around her face, it cut her like glass. Blades of grass clung to her feet, so far the only thing she knew about her life in the future was that it involved the outside. The Angel pointed his finger, indicating she should look behind her, half her was filled with dread, she wasn't quite sure she wanted to see what was behind her. Her eyes closed she turned slowly; she took a deep breath half expecting to see a gravestone but surprised instead to see the Forman House.

"What are we doing here; maybe you should consult your Angel's guide for dummies?"

"Just watch."

She rolled her eyes, it probably wasn't the best idea for her to taunt an Angel. Keeping quiet she trained her eyes on the house, only sparking with interest when she saw herself walk down the driveway dragging her suitcase along behind her. She gasped loudly, she looked awful. She was all bone, her face looked sunken and her hair looked more like a home for birds than a luxurious mane that would put a shampoo ad to shame. Fresh tears squeezed at her eyes as she watched herself, dried tears showing on her face as she loaded her stuff into her clunky car. Backing out of the drive, the car disappeared down the street, the street surrounding her fading away to an apartment. The Angel held up a finger to silence her, anticipating her question. She fumed quietly to herself, blinking rapidly as the light come on in the room around her. It was scary; the walls were white, devoid of any pictures, the furniture, clean, gorgeous. The whole place felt cold, like a museum. Before her a well built guy walked through the place like he owned, maybe he did, helping himself to the fridge. She followed him as he disappeared into the bedroom, surprised to see herself curled up on the bed. He was being careful not to wake her, not aware that she was faking sleep. She knew her face well, there was only one other she knew the contours of better. She looked healthy, her face full and her hair tamed but it was taut. All on the surface. The cupboard doors were open revealing clothes threatening to burst from their confines, shoe boxes piled beneath them. This was her apartment; she just wasn't reflected in it. She watched herself shift as the guy tried to pull her against him, the annoyance plain to her, as blinding as the rock on her finger.

"He's a Vanderbilt."

She nodded to herself trying to breathe deeply as she took in the sad shell of a person she obviously was, the view outside the window was spectacular showing the gorgeous landscape of Chicago but she couldn't appreciate the beauty. The desk under the window was covered with papers, the one on top reading guest list. She didn't know why she felt the urge to look but she did, she was surprised by the small lump that formed when she read through the list of names not recognizing a single one. There was nothing here. The man in the bed; Brad according to the wedding invitation that rested amongst the assorted papers was snoring lightly, not aware of his fiancée as she slipped from the bed and went to the bathroom. It was eerie, watching yourself watching herself. The Jackie of the future viewed herself with a critical eye, her lip trembling lightly with the urge to cry. Future Jackie slid down to the floor, her small frame shaking as she sobbed, hugging her knees tightly to her chest. Some life. Just as quickly as she had dissolved into tears, Future Jackie stopped, wiping away any evidence that she was anything other than calm and collected. The room brightened and the two figures on the bed disappeared, Future Jackie now sat on the fire escape staring out into the city tapping a pen against a notebook noisily. She recognised that notebook, it held all of her deepest thoughts. The book appeared in her hands as soon as she thought it, she wasn't even surprised. The pages were yellowing and were stained, mostly with tears. Her fingers brushed over the words, drinking them in. Some she remembered, some she had yet to write. She pushed forward to the freshest page, not quite eager but still in need of knowing what she had written lately. What she read made her sick, the book falling from her hands and disappearing before it even touched the plush carpet. Her head swirled with the words, she could practically hear the melody. She sang the words softly to herself, they were already ingrained in her brain.

_90 miles outside Chicago_

_Can't stop driving, I don't know why_

_So many questions, I need an answer_

_2 years later, you're still on my mind_

_Whatever happened to Amelia Earhart_

_What holds the stars up in the sky?_

_Is true love just once in a lifetime?_

_Did the captain of the titanic cry?_

_Someday we'll know_

_If love can move a mountain_

_Someday we'll know_

_Why the sky is blue_

_Someday we'll know_

_Why I wasn't meant for you_

_Does anyone know the way to Atlantis?_

_Or what the wind says when she cries_

_I'm speeding by the place that I met you_

_For the ninety-seventh time tonight_

_Someday we'll know_

_If love can move a mountain_

_Someday we'll know_

_Why the sky is blue_

_Someday we'll know_

_Why I wasn't meant for you_

_Someday we'll know_

_Why Samson loved Delilah_

_One day I'll go dancing on the moon_

_Someday we'll know_

_That I was the one for you_

_I bought a ticket to the end of the rainbow_

_I watched the stars crash into the sea_

_If I could ask God just one question_

_Why aren't you here with me? Tonight_

_Someday we'll know_

_If love can move a mountain_

_Someday we'll know_

_Why the sky is blue_

_Someday we'll know_

_Why I wasn't meant for you_

_Someday we'll know_

_Why Samson loved Delilah_

_One day I'll go dancing on the moon_

_Someday we'll know_

_That I was the one for you_

She could feel the Angel creeping up behind her, she squeezed her eyes closed tightly, her throat closing.

"Don't say a word."

When she opened her eyes once more she was once again greeted by stark whiteness. The stark whiteness of a hospital room, the Angel was nowhere to be seen.

***

Thanks for still checking in on me and my little story here! As always your reviews are mucho appreciated!


	13. What's Next

**DISCLAIMER: Oh no, not me, I don't own this. I kinda, totally wish I did. Also I do not own the song 'Someday I'll Know' which I used in the last chapter that belongs to the New Radicals. **

**Ch13…**_**What's next**_

***

Dry. His throat was dry and in desperate need of water. Several hours had past and yet still he was in a state of shock, his throat wasn't just thirsty for water but for beer, scotch, anything that could allow him to forget the last few days and write them off as some kind of weird dream.

"_They're not really married." _

His throat had tightened at that, cutting off all liquid; it had grown dry when his mouth opened once more to ask for an explanation only to be cut off by his son.

"_She's already married to someone else, someone who's not Hyde." _

His first instinct; to throttle his son had resulted in the split knuckle; apparently Africa had taught him something; to dodge something incoming you really didn't want. Eric was jumpy, bouncing in his seat while his mother held ice over his father's rapidly swelling hand, tsking at him.

"Damn it Kitty, I'm in a hospital if there was anyplace for me to be injured it would be here."

Red pulled his hand away, ignoring the ache he felt, the pain barely registering in comparison to the other whirl of emotions forming round his head.

"Explain yourself and in case you don't know where to start I'll help you. Start quickly so I don't have to make it so you can't sit down without leaving behind a shoe print."

Hello imagery. Why was it even when it was Hyde who had married a stripper and it was Laurie; her co worker that discovered the news, it was him that got in trouble? God did discriminate, he was sure of it. Maybe tying Pastor Dan up over Christmas wasn't exactly the best idea. His fingers brushed against the crumpled envelope in his pocket, he half expected it to evaporate, it was a letter from Laurie. When he got it he was afraid it would self destruct. Pulling it out he offered it to Red.

"This is why I come home."

His hands stuck in his pockets, Eric left the hospital for the first time in two days. He really needed to shower he was beginning to smell like Leo.

***

She should probably hit that button over there, at least then she could get a nurse to get her a drink and some nice drugs to make her not feel anything. But then everyone else would know she was awake, and then she would be surrounded, confined to this bed, this room with no chance to escape. So instead she lay there, eyes closed, pretending she was still unconscious. It became almost like a game, trying to remain perfectly still and not react to anything around her. Or at least it was until some people entered the room and didn't leave. She could tell by the heavy footsteps they were men, or Donna. She stayed perfectly still waiting for them to speak, clue her in as to their identity. The chairs that scraped were not close, they were visiting Hyde. Not that she was surprised. He hadn't spoken since she had awoken. Probably asleep. Or if what that angel had shown her was real and not some trippy dream, he was in some kind of catatonic state.

"Hey Hyde"

The chair creaked under the weight of Donna settling into it; she always was eating, damn giant.

"You need to wake up, all this stuff is happening and we need you."

Jackie felt the ghost of tears under her eyelids, she wasn't going to cry.

"Jackie needs you. We can't keep ignoring everything, look where denial has gotten us; Kelso has some real competition for the crown."

A statue made of stone. She was a statue made of stone, and stone couldn't feel, couldn't move, and couldn't shuffle the slightest to the right to hear a little better.

"Jackie's still hasn't woken up, maybe she's waiting for a kiss from her prince charming to wake her up, you better hurry up before Fez and Kelso lay one on her." Donna laughed a little to herself, but it was hollow and lonely. "She's on the other side of the curtain but I can't see her. She doesn't want to see me and I have to respect that, she deserves that much."

She sounded so sad, but she wouldn't feel sorry for her. She bought it upon herself.

"I'm going to make it up to her and I'm going to make it up to you. I shouldn't have let Jackie leave and I shouldn't have let Sam stay. I'm going to make things right."

Donna took a deep breath, like she was readying herself for something. Jackie tried to steady her heart rate, the monitor beside her speeding up slightly, giving away her secret.

"I heard that sometimes patients can hear things even if they're not conscious, maybe this will shock you out of it. Sam's not pregnant."

Jackie's eyes flew open, her mouth forming a perfect 'O' of disbelief, Hyde hadn't knocked Sam up. Her stomach fluttered lightly with something. She hadn't felt it in a long time and it took her a few minutes to recognise the sensation. Relief.

"Wake up Hyde; I know you don't want to miss me kicking Sam's ass over this. Cut this Zen sleep crap, you always said where Zen ends, ass kicking begins. At least that's what Jackie told me."

She sniffled and squeezed his hand, it was warm but there was no response. The chair scrapped and Jackie quickly closed her eyes, feigning unconsciousness. Donna leant over and tucked the blankets around Hyde. She paused at the curtain to Jackie's room, wanting to peek inside, talk to her friend but resisted. The door shut loudly behind her and Jackie opened her eyes once more. Sam faked a pregnancy? Jackie felt ill at the thought and found herself doing something she promised herself she would never do again; feeling sorry for Steven Hyde.

***

Eric found himself standing in the cool air outside the hospital's entrance, his hands jammed in his pockets walking up and down, his head shaking. He probably looked crazy, but hey he was at the hospital; he blended in. Donna had rushed past him in a hurry, her words jumbled, she hadn't even paused. Now he was waiting for Fez and Kelso that at least he had understood from her. He hadn't seen the two since they had been kicked out by Red yesterday, or maybe it was today. Time seemed to become one big lump around here. It was weird being back, he never thought he'd miss hearing Kelso complain about his eye or Fez triumphantly announce when he had sex, he even missed hearing Jackie's painstaking description of how she got her hair to curl just right that morning. Coming back everything was different, but it was all going to change, it had to, it was fated; like Luke and Leia, Sonny and Cher or Darren and Samantha. They were the kids from the basement; what a long strange trip it's been in Forman's basement; this isn't how it was going to end.

"Why can't I hold the camera?"

Fez held the video camera protectively under his arm, angling his body away from Kelso. Eric smirked as the taller of the two tried to reach around failing to notice the bench in front of him and fell in a heap. At least some things in the basement would always be the same.

"That's why Kelso." Side stepping his sprawled friend he fell in step with Fez whose face had grown solemn once more.

"So why the camera? Jackie will kill you if you tape her under fluorescent lights and without hair and make up approval."

Fez smiled slightly at that, slowing to allow Kelso to catch up with them.

"No it's for something else, Donna called and told us to get down here, she sounded angry and Kelso had one of his visions, I bought the camera to record everything to show Jackie later."

Eric looked at Kelso who was rubbing his head and then back at Fez.

"Visions? Have you been hitting the peace pipe Fez?"

"Eric you know I can always tell when there is going to be a chick fight, it's a gift. Since missing out on Jackie beating down Laurie I have been practicing and my senses have been tingling."

Kelso tapped his nose confidently; Eric raised one eyebrow in question.

"Yeah penicillin will clear that right up Kelso."

Fez pulled the video camera from its case, peering at it trying to find the 'on' button; they were nearing the waiting room that was substituting as the basement for the meantime.

"Shh! Shut up you bastards, I don't want to be sent home before the good stuff!"

Kelso's mouth shut abruptly, he flounced ahead and sat down noisily making sure to huff, Red turned his glare on him and he moved down several seats. Fez joined him still staring furiously at the video camera Jackie had bought to practice her news casting with. Eric looked over at his father, surprised that he was not terrified to see him, maybe Africa had changed him more than he had realized. Still in his hands was the letter he had thrown over to him an hour ago. Red latched a look onto him and nodded slowly, he nodded back, it wasn't an apology but it was enough. The sound of heavy foot steps echoed through the quietness and Eric looked away not surprised to see Donna emerging from Hyde and Jackie's room. She flashed a small smile at Eric before looking over at WB who didn't look like someone had killed his puppy; the face he had been sporting earlier.

"WB, I know about Sam, she's not pregnant."

"We know that Donna."

Fez and Kelso both had exploded in a series of curses quieting only under the steel gaze of Red. Donna breathed deeply looking over at Fez, he was going to hate this.

"I know she's blackmailing you, her and her crazy friend where shrieking about it while they downed cosmos, she's a lot sneakier than we gave her credit for but she made a big mistake."

It was just like ripping off a bandaid, a really sticky, huge bandaid.

"Believe me I never thought I would say this but Fez you can bring the bitch down."

He was nodding, his hand tapping on the camera; he looked so serious it could be funny, only it wasn't.

"Yes, what are you saying? How do I rescue my handsome Hyde?"

She breathed deeply, her breath coming back out shaky.

"She didn't plan this alone, according to that letter over there" She nodded to Red. "She knew exactly who Hyde was when she poured whiskey down his throat and helped him stumbled down the aisle. She's been planning this from the beginning but she didn't account for Jackie. She needed a new plan and she found someone to help her with it."

This was a lot harder to say than she thought it would be, everything that had happened over the last few months were coming to her; forming together, it was like a giant neon sign and she was a fool for not having seen it all before.

"Fez it's Caroline."

The parents in the room all shared a look of confusion while the basement gang all swore.

"Who?"

Fez's usually tan face was now deathly pale, his hands stilled from their beat. Eric took pity on his friends and turned to his parents.

"Remember that sweet girl who carved Fez's name into her arm and streaked down Main Street carrying a sign that proclaimed their love? That's Caroline; she's psycho, in the Norman Bates sense of the word."

Kitty's mouth set in a firm line and Red's hand clenched in fists, him not even wincing at the obvious pain of doing it. WB was shaking his head, his shoulders shaking.

"That girl picked the wrong recently discovered illegitimate son to take advantage of. I haven't gotten to where I am by being naïve, I won't let the man bring me down and I sure as hell won't let some little girl try to either."

His voice had grown gravely with anger and Eric pushed back further into his chair, it looked like Hyde also got his scary voice and anger from his father too, that and eyes that looked like they could shoot fire.

"So Donna, what's the plan?"

Eric reached over and clasped her hand in his, it wasn't everything but it was a start. She shrugged biting her lip. WB coughed as he reached into his jacket and threw a manila envelope on her lap.

"I don't what your plan is Donna, but I bet that will help."

Four sets of eyes scanned the document, Donna gasped and Eric felt slightly sick, Kelso looked confused and Fez was still in shock. WB smirked with satisfaction.

"Don't ever say paranoia isn't warranted."

The papers in Donna's hands were now held tightly to her chest, her brain falling over itself in its hurry to communicate with the other people in the room.

"I've got an idea, and Fez we'll need that camera, I want it on tape when I kick that girl's ass back to the hole she crawled out of."

Fez smiled pervertedly, not even Crazy Caroline could stop him from appreciating a girl fight. Standing up, Donna smiled sadly at her foreign friend who was still looking slightly green.

"We'll need you to take care of Caroline. I don't want to know how you think you can do it and I don't ever want to know how you will do it just get it done."

The bitches were going down. Small white teeth bit into a plump pale lip, all of this hurt, all of this pain was for nothing? Her wrists burned where the IV was attached and she wanted to claw at it, get away from here, away from all of this, go somewhere not here, somewhere nobody knew who she was and how messed up her life was, somewhere where she could have a boring existence. In the bed beside her blue eyes began to stir, lips forming words that only now could be heard.

"Let me in."

She hadn't just heard that; she was after all in the psych ward; it was her imagination, messing with her.

"Strength to carry on."

Okay, there was no way she had imagined that, those were her words, her feelings, pretty much her relationship with Hyde with a backing track and sweet melody. Her eyes darted over to the door which was firmly shut; she swung her legs over the bed slowly, pulling at the curtain. Hyde was twitching on his bed, almost like his body was convulsing. She felt for his hand, it was so large compared to her on; he calmed at her touch and she placed a small kiss on his forehead.

"Tonight I fall."

She whispered the words, his hand fell back against the scratchy bed and she disappeared back behind the curtain and into her bed, is this the end?

***

Please review!


	14. That's Karma

**DISCLAIMER: All ownership belongs to the people who obviously sold their souls at the end of season seven.**

_**Ch14…That's Karma**_

*******

Her clothes were still scattered across the room, spilling out of her suitcase. She would have yelled at him but he wasn't there. Nobody was, for the first time she could remember the Forman household was completely devoid of people. If she cared she probably would have realised that something had to be seriously wrong, but as it were she just gathered her clothes stuffing them into her suitcase, she wanted out of this craphole town. Hyde had been her meal ticket out of Vegas and now his dad would set her up for life; her and her 'baby'. She grinned to herself as she walked down the stairs taking in the house that had never felt like home, or tried to. Good riddance.

"Sam! Haven't seen you in a few days, you been away at one of those conventions?"

The tips of Bob's ears were red and he was sweating; he was always like that around her. She plastered a fake smile on her face and waved, working hard to keep the shock off her face as she took in the shapely blonde that was draped over him.

"Yeah Bobby but I came back early, I missed my Hyde!" She pouted "But he's not here, do you know where he went?"

The blonde arched an eyebrow at Sam and gave her a frosty look, Sam stared back coolly while Bob sputtered. The blonde rubbed his back affectionately, never taking her glare away from Sam.

"Oh, he's in the hospital, he had some kind of nervous breakdown after Jackie almost died. I heard he was foaming at the mouth and screaming her name! He must really love her, but then again he is a scruffy burnout with no taste." She looked down at Sam, a feat considering she was a good head shorter. "Who are you again?"

Sam gaped at the other blonde who was smiling, obviously very pleased with herself. Hyde was in the hospital? Without bothering with a goodbye Sam stalked to her car peeling out of the driveway loudly. She needed to see Caroline; this hadn't been in the plan.

***

It was quiet; well as quiet as a hospital got and considering it was Point Place and Kelso was being guarded by three friends it was pretty damn near silent at least it was. Kitty had made a sport of chewing her nails and staring at the nurse's station. None of the nurse's would meet her eye, she had been working there long enough to know what that meant, there was something going on that they didn't want her to know.

"Look at them Red, those damn busybodies, they think it's their right to know everyone's business and now they know mine! And they won't even tell me what it is!"

Sometimes Red thinks it's his wife that's the foreigner; she was definitely speaking another language ninety percent of the time.

"Now Kitty don't be paranoid, I'm sure they're just doing their jobs."

The look of dismay that Kitty gave him would make Mussolini shudder. She crossed her arms huffily.

"Red they're doing my job and believe me when I say that that is not it! Now I'm going to see what it is those little harlots are trying to keep from me."

She moved swiftly from the chairs, marching towards the younger nurses who were oblivious to her approach, he almost felt sorry for the girls but then again they didn't have to live with her. Moving from the seat Red moved slowly to the door that housed two of his kids; not by blood but in all the ways that were important. The doorknob felt oddly cold in his hand, the door squeaking as he pushed through it. Jackie was lying peacefully on the bed her eyes closed. Pulling at the curtain he could see Steven, resting not peacefully but in fits. His heart constricted at the agonised look on the boys face. He hated him a little for making him have to do this and he hated himself a little for hating him.

"Enough's enough son, we're men we don't deal with these things like this. You wake up and you put some goddamn pants on and you sort this out. I warned you and I tried to be subtle but I think it went over your jumbo-sized head so I'm going to spell it out for you."

He tightened his grip on his son's hand, it wasn't as tight as it could be but he was using his non-swollen hand, leaning over so he could whisper into his ear, Red allowed the emotion to come though his voice.

"Get your ass out of this bed, kick that stripper to the curb and marry the loud one! Don't be stubborn and don't screw it up, for the next twenty years she will be using this against you and you're going to have to take it because that's what we do. So open your goddamn eyes you lazy layabout!"

Red stared down at the bed, willing his son to wake up, from behind the curtain there was the soft rustling of blankets and a badly disguised sniffle. Walking backwards past the curtain into Jackie's side of the room he peered over to the bed where Jackie was now sitting up, her eyes coated with tears, she had a small smile on her face, a wobbly one and he couldn't bring himself to curse for being heard as a softie.

"What did you hear?"

It was a simple question and yet it conveyed so much more than one would assume. What did Jackie hear? Was that really important?

"The truth Mr. Forman, for the first time in months, I heard the truth."

Red looked over at the girl, so small, dainty and vulnerable in her hospital bed, her dark hair falling around her making her skin even more pale. A light colour had begun to pool in her cheeks.

"Well only dumbasses lie, dumbasses and commies."

Her smile wobbled once more, the tears still glistening across her eyes. She sucked in her breath and reached under her pillow for her book. Glancing away and then back to Red she rubbed her lips together.

"Mr. Forman, there's something I have to show you."

***

Kelso's chin was propped up by his hands, a dopey smile covering his face, completely focussed on what was happening before him. Donna shook her head in disgust and pulled away from the door and back into the bathroom of the hub, Eric was leaning against the sink fiddling with the camera.

"Still?"

"Still' Donna confirmed, her hands pushing her hair from her face as she paced the small expanse of the room. "Argh, it's disgusting I want to take something and carve out my eyes."

"And you thought Jackie and Hyde were unnatural!" Eric quipped without thought, the stricken look on Donna's face erasing the easy feeling that had been there before, welcome back foot old friend, oh how his mouth has missed you. Donna looked away, but not quick enough so that Eric could miss the troubled look that clouded her face.

"Have you got that stupid thing working yet?"

Her tone was clipped, back to business. Eric peered through the eye piece and smirked.

"Yeah, Fez left something sticky in the thing, which I'm choosing to believe is some kind of candy, I cleaned it out, it's already to film the greatest thing since-"

Donna's hand was across his mouth, warm and soft like he remembered her eyes just centimetres from his own, a slight smile across her face.

"Don't even think about it Eric."

His lips were pressed against her palm, if he added the slightest pressure, it could be a kiss. His brown eyes bore into hers and for once neither of them looked away. Donna cleared her through, pulling her hand back to her side. Eric breathed deeply handing the camera to her while he took his turn peeking out the door; it was only fair that they both have to witness this. His face screwed up in disgust and he felt his through constrict in that familiar way that signalled that his stomach was forcing its way into his throat. The door to the hub opened, signalled by a cheerful bell the stench of cigarettes and cheap perfume circling the air. Kelso didn't notice the new arrival still fascinated by the display being put forth by Fez.

Donna appeared over his shoulder, the low growl that scratched her throat confirming his assumption that the teased blonde head of hair that was currently obscuring his vision into the room was Sam.

"Caroline I need to talk to you!"

Kelso was practically twittering with excitement, his senses tingling from behind him the door pushed open wider and the unmistakable click of the video camera made him smirk. Sam was beside him staring across the table at Fez, Caroline perched on his knee the duo wearing matching shirts declaring themselves property of the other. Her head was tipped on an angle universally known as the 'I-don't-understand' pose.

"Fez? You and Caroline?"

Eric winced, her voice was so sugary sweet, but not like honey but fake like artificial sweetener, he would wager his GI Joes that she had a laugh like breaking glass, he never thought he would live to see the day he would welcome the mindless chatter of Jackie. She moved to sit beside the entangled couple who were now rubbing noses, only one of Caroline's hands accounted for.

"Why yes, Caroline is my beautiful sugar pop, I just want to take her home cover her in candy and ravage her!" He ended this scary diatribe with a playful yelp, nibbling at her lips, his head becoming buried in her neck. Kelso was now bouncing in his seat, it was imminent, it was nearly upon them.

***

It was like an acid trip, minus the acid. Not that he had ever done acid. That wasn't the point. He was drowning, and he was okay with it, he wasn't drowning in water, he was drowning in memories. Some people think that before you die your whole life flashes before your eyes. Well that sounds like bullshit. When he died he didn't want to have to relieve all the bad shit, the abandonment the pain, all of his regrets even if he did get to relive the good. Right now his mind was choking him with memories he had tried to keep down, had tried to permanently burn from his brain and everyone else's. His favourite memories, there was nothing grand about them, its funny how the best part of his day used to be a small peck on the lips, a cascade of brown hair tickling his chin and a sleepy murmured declaration of love. It was the little moments that he wouldn't think of first that he was now seeing again. Jackie's hand finding its way to his back pocket as they walked aimlessly around the car show, winking at him and blowing him kiss while she abused a customer into purchasing records at his store when they had only come in to ask where the nearest bathroom was. The mischievous smirk when one of the gang turned the TV to the price is right. He wasn't just seeing these things, he was feeling how he felt in that moment, it hurt, he hadn't felt anything in a long time. Jackie's voice was whispering into his ear, tantalising him. He was letting her in, all the way back in.

***

_Hey guys, sorry about the shortness of the chapter, but the next chapter is going to be big! There was more towards the end of this but it worked better as a separate chapter so instead of meaningless filler I posted this as is. Hope you enjoyed and look out for chapter 15, cause Karma's a bitch!_


	15. It's On

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own That 70s Show, blind-dead retards do (no offence intended)**

**Ch15…**_**It's On**_

***

Water. Some might think he was obsessed with water given the length of time he had thought about and waxed poetic on the infamous car that runs on water. But it had never really been about the water not like it was now; his throat was drier that Fez's track record in High School. His eyes felt like they were vibrating in their sockets and his hearing almost sounded like static, kind of like he was tuning his radio and just couldn't get it right. He could hear voices but they were drowning in other noises his fingers curled, he really needed that water. His head felt heavy, like a bowling ball and it took all of his energy to roll it towards the voices, towards the lumpy shapes over there.

"When?"

Even though this bizarre haze he could recognise the stern voice of Red Forman even with the seldom-heard undercurrent of concern than ran through it.

"A few days before I left for Chicago."

Jackie, he knew her voice so well, it was different to the last time he had heard it, right before she collapsed in a heap, there was a small note of something in there, hope.

"So this is why you…"

He didn't need to finish the sentence, why bring back the pain that was still seeping at the wound?

"Yeah."

The hope in her voice was wavering and Hyde burned to know what they were talking about.

"Water."

His voice was raspy, like he had let Kelso use sand paper to clean his vocal chords, it was barely audible, his dry lips smacking together. Jackie flinched, her eyes locking on his unmasked ones. Cold eyes obscured his vision and he blinked at the cold, smirking face that towered over him.

"Rise and shine dumbass."

***

This was definitely not going according to plan. Caroline was meant to be helping her figure out the next stage of her plan considering this new development, not attempting to tie her tongue in a knot with Hyde's perverted friends. Hyde's other perverted friend seemed to find this oddly fascinating judging by the depth of which he was concentrating on them, but that wasn't saying much, she'd once seen him attempt a staring competition with Schotzie.

"Caroline! You can't be with Fez, he's friends with Hyde!" Sam squawked completely unaward of the faint whirring of the video camera recording her every move.

"I'm going in."

Eric nodded at Donna slinking back to allow her to enter the scene, her entrance to this would be the shock, the good coming to defeat the bad, the Luke to Darth Vader, the- well you get the picture.

"Sam! Where have you been?" Donna asked acting surprised to see the blonde who was now trapped between a grinding couple and Kelso. Reaching across the table Donna grabbed Sam's hand in her own squeezing tightly, throwing all her JV wrestling team muscle into it.

"I can't believe you never told me, I would have been there for you!"

Sam looked at Donna confusion flitting across her face, this was more like the Donna she had hung out with, not the moody one of the last few days.

"I know I've been upset because of that whole thing with Jackie but you were right. She wouldn't even see me so why should I care what happens to her? Besides now that I know what's going on with you, I'll need time to help you out."

Eric was biting the insides of his cheeks to keep from laughing, one stray giggle and this would all come crashing down. Kelso was now staring at the two girls, a grin threatening his cheeks. Under the table Donna kicked at his leg.

"Ow, Dammit Don-" He broke off the sentence under the force of her glare "Donor rats, I saw one in here earlier, I think Ed's frying them up as hot dogs."

Smooth, Kelso real smooth. Donna shook her head at him slightly finding herself wondering idly how someone gets to be that dumb.

"Now you wont have to worry about a thing, I've set everything up. I've set up a consultation with an obstetrician for four o clock, you'll be able to see the baby on this machine called an ultra sound and she'll help you decide on a birth plan."

The colour drained from the blonde's face, her hand frantically slapping at Caroline who was still engrossed in the inner workings of Fez's mouth.

"You what? How did you?"

Donna smiled at Sam who was shrinking in her seat; they had definitely not planned for this- how the hell was she supposed to produce an actual baby, it's not like they grew on trees or something!

"Well after you told WB the great news he called Mr. and Mrs. Forman and they told me. This is so great, your husband is going to be so happy!"

Sam gulped, her nails now digging into the flesh of Caroline's arm which did nothing but increase the audible moaning coming from the couple.

"Oh yeah Hyde will be bouncing out of his bed."

If Sam hadn't been distracted by all the ways in which her fool proof plan was being revealed as anything but she might have caught the gleam of satisfaction in Donna's eyes or the small whistle of excitement form Kelso which finally broke the grossly public display of affection between Fez and Caroline. Plastering a look of fake confusion on her face, Donna pulled the papers onto her lap.

"Hyde? Oh I meant Larry- you're first husband? At least according to the state of Nevada bridal registry." The papers fanned her hair as Donna slammed them on the table. "I can see why you married him, he sounded like a real sweetie on the phone. And he was so excited about the baby, said he'd drive out here as soon as he could."

Colour was slowly seeping back into Sam's face in patches mainly red but there was now a decidedly green tinge to it. Donna leant back in her chair, tipping it on its back legs slightly.

"Oh and WB asked me to pass on a message, now let me make sure I've got it right."

Careful to keep her eyes locked on Sam's, Donna pursed her lips together before diving across the table swiftly, her hands immediately grabbing two chunks of blonde hair which she pulled harshly. The door to the bathroom swung open as Eric scrambled to keep the two rolling girls in shot. Donna was fighting vicious, not only punching but pulling hair and scratching at the girls face. Caroline was watching with the same perverted smile as Fez who was standing closely with Kelso the two commentating on the fight.

"Oh and Big Red goes for the bra and snaps it, that's got to hurt!"

"Donna tear her top off! She's been a bad girl!" Fez yelled gleefully seemingly forgetting his job of distracting the other blonde psycho. Seeing the shake of her shoulders Eric didn't feel too badly about taking the bottle of ketchup on the table and hitting her on the head with it, he couldn't do any real damage to something that's already beyond repair.

"Ow, you bit me you bitch!"

Donna yelled pulling the girl into a headlock swivelling to the face the camera.

"Now listen Laurie reincarnate, here's what you are going to do, you're going to look in the camera and tell the truth. About everything; Vegas, your marriage, the baby, everything. And you're going to apologize to Hyde, to Jackie, to everyone whose live you messed with, okay?"

Her face now puce Donna lessened her arm around the blonde's neck as she choked out a yes.

"I'm sorry, I'm not pregnant and we're not married. One of the guys at the club recognised the name on the credit card and told me. We're not married, we never even went to a chapel. I'm sorry. And I'm sorry WB for trying to blackmail you."

Donna pulled the girl up letting her breath.

"Now was that so hard?"

Gasping for air she shook her head. This was definitely not in the plan.

"Can I go now?"

The four basement babies shared a laugh, pulling the girl through the door of the hub.

"Oh this is only the beginning. Eric why don't you tell the slut what's she's won?"

The video camera now turned to face him Eric smiled gamely adopting the cheesy grin of a game show host.

"Why Miss Samantha here has won an all expense paid trip to….Prison! Care of William Barnett by way of Donna Pinciotti, Michael Kelso, Eric Forman and…Fez."

"Prison?"

The four friends paused momentarily, Eric shrugging in a whoopsie daisy fashion.

"Yeah did we not mention that? By the way I'm Eric Forman- owner of the basement." Stepping forward so that only Sam could hear he whispered in her ear. "You don't mess with my family."

Throwing an arm around her shoulder he pulled her down the street with Donna, Kelso and Fez following closely behind.

***

Kitty was not used to not getting her way. She had married a hard man, and she had broken him, mostly. So when the nurses scattered upon her approach she did not take it kindly; no one voluntarily went to change the bedpans. Something was going on, she could feel it. There were charts piled up across the desks but that was nothing new. Jackie's wasn't there, not that that was unusual, the staff psychologist had insisted on taking it for evaluation, Kitty herself hadn't seen it. But Jackie talked so much she doubted there was anything in there that she didn't already know, especially now. She had left the station after searching fruitlessly for some clue as to what had gotten the nurses into such a gossip frenzy but there was nothing. Disheartened she made her way towards her babies room.

"…Donna's got some knuckle brained scheme all because you're a dumbass."

Kitty frowned, Red shouldn't berate the boy when he couldn't defend himself, her hand pressed flat on the door to push it open, her pulse quickened when she heard someone reply.

"Yeah, I guess now I'm the king."

Jackie was only mildly surprised that Kitty pushed the door open and had not left a cut out of herself in her haste to get to Hyde, the machines he was hooked up to went into a frenzy as she hugged him tightly effectively cutting off some of the tubes coming from him.

"Don't you ever do that to me again, its bad enough I had one baby away in Africa, one who knows where and one in hospital! Don't you scare me like that again."

Somehow only Kitty could yell at you and make you feel guilty and loved in equal measures. Red pulled Kitty away allowing Hyde to breathe.

"Calm down Kitty, you've got someone else to choke to death as well."

Hyde could barely blink before Kitty launched herself at Jackie hugging the girl while threatening her in the same exact manner she had just threatened him. Red watched this with the slightest twitch of a smile, while Hyde gazed on sombrely, leaning over to Hyde's ear, Red whispered quietly.

"This is it Steven, don't screw it up."

For the first time he didn't feel like that was impossible.

***

Why did Donna always get the front seat? Everyone had clearly heard him call shotgun. Now he was stuck in the back with Fez and an unconscious Caroline. They had just gotten into the Vista Cruiser when they realised they had left Caroline back at the Hub. Considering her track record of being crazy, Kelso and Fez had retreated back and grabbed Caroline from the crowd who were trying to wake her up; they really did not want to do that. Sam was surprisingly quiet in the front seat, wedged between Donna and Eric in case she made a run for it.

"After we put Sam in prison can we stop and get ice cream?"

Donna looked at Fez through the rear view mirror trying not to laugh at Sam flinching whenever the word prison was mentioned.

"Sure Fez. We can stop on our way back to the hospital."

Fez clapped happily only stop when Kelso nudged Caroline so she was sprawled over him.

"Uh guys, what are we going to do about Caroline?"

The girl in question thumped to the floor as Fez pushed her off him. Sam didn't seem too concerned with her friend; she was wringing her hands in her lap. Eric shrugged.

"Heads- hospital, tails- prison?"

Sam flinched once more. Eric saw this out of the corner of his eye. Careful to keep one eye on the road he glanced over at the girl who had tried to ruin his family.

"So Sam why do you flinch every time someone says prison, I thought you'd be convertible surrounded by poles."

Eric smirked to himself as Kelso called out Burn, it was beginning to feel like home, finally.

***

OMG! I am so annoyed at myself over how long it took to get this up. My explanation is as follows- I blew up my lap top. SO how am I posting this? On my BRAND NEW LAP TOP! Unfortunately I fried all my files and my friend Super Computer Boy could only retrieve some of them. So this chapter isn't the original ergo the shortness. But I am working on getting it all done. As for my little teasing with Red and Jackie, you will just have to read on; trust me it will definitely be a shock. And so now both Jackie and Hyde are awake and Sam is out of the picture- what's going to happen now? If you want to find out please REVIEW I really need the love after the loss of my laptop which is really an extension of my being as my mother likes to say.

Aw and congrats to Mila for being named hottest Mila at the Spike Awards- du'h! And congrats to Danny on his engagement, if only it could have happened on the show with the right girl….


	16. It's Over

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing…although I did just buy an awesome Pork Pie Hat…**

_Ch16 It's over? _

***

Nothing is real until you've said it out loud. She'd always believed that, maybe it was why she talked so much. She hadn't done much talking lately though. If you thought about it that all added up. Mr. Forman had asked when but she was sure the next question he would ask would be why. Why didn't she tell Donna, Kitty or Hyde? Why didn't she want to tell them? Why did she hide it? All variations of the same question. Why, why, why. She knew the answer; she'd had long enough to think about it, the repercussions of keeping it to herself; of burying it deep inside, curling her insides until it finally burst through. It hadn't happened the way she had expected, but then again nothing ever did.  
"Oh, my babies are awake!"  
It would have been sweet if it were the first time she had said it, not the fifty-first. Hyde didn't have his glasses to sheath his eyes so his growing agitation was evident on his face, agitation at what was anyone's guess, the list probably too numerous to bother thinking of.  
"Thanks Mrs. Forman."  
Did Hyde think he was thirsty? Two jugs of water and a few cups of ice chips later, he really needed to piss. Sometimes he wondered if his mother being less a mother and more an idle visitor was really that big of a deal, because this smothering concern could really grate on your nerves.  
"Now you just lie back and rest those vocal chords mister. That was a strong sedative the doctor had to administer! You'll be feeling it for at least a few days."  
Jackie was trying not to peek at him from the corner of her eyes, she was certain that he would be trying and failing miserably to keep the grimace from his face as Mrs. Forman proceeded to tuck in all the edges of his blankets. He never had been very good at accepting help or comfort, even when he was in dire need of it.  
"Now is there anything either of you kids need before I take Mr. Forman home, he hasn't had a home cooked meal in days and you know how Red gets without his food! I'll bring some leftovers when I come back for my shift tonight."  
She was quick to shake her head, Mr. Forman all but ready to pull his wife from the room. She could feel the faint stickiness of lipstick from where Mrs. Forman kissed her on the forehead; Steven probably had a matching mark of his own.  
"Thank you."  
Red paused at the door, staring meaningfully at Hyde before turning his eyes to Jackie.  
"We'll be continuing that conversation."  
Jackie giggled, they had come along way from the days of working on cars with zipped lips. She nodded at him, smiling weakly, that was a conversation she was not looking forward to.  
"You better hurry, Mrs. Forman has the keys to the Toyota."  
Red's eyes widened in alarm and he disappeared from the doorway the sound of his shoes slapping the hospital floor and the crashing of doors marking his departure. Jackie's eyes lingered on the door before turning almost naturally to her roommate, he was staring unabashedly back at her. Her brain screamed at her to look away but she didn't listen, it was easy she had stopped listening to her brain a long time ago.  
"Hi."  
"Hi."

***

It was inevitable. He always fought the instinct, tried to remind himself what had happened the previous times he had let himself go for it; the crushing defeat at the end of it and yet he still couldn't help himself. He was a goner.  
"Aw come on Eric, one little ice cream Eric, what will it hurt Eric?"  
Eric Forman had adopted some kind of high-pitched girly voice that really sounded nothing like Fez the person he was trying to impersonate. "Well it hurt someone Fez, it hurt the Vista Cruiser. Her once beautiful interior a Hodge podge of your poor eating habits. Babies have better hand- eye coordination than you!"  
Eric was now pacing the length of the car, his three friends sitting on the lawn chairs outside his house. Fez didn't appear to be fazed by Eric's taunts.  
"Kelso, a man who has inadvertently injured himself with a burrito has better hand eye coordination than you!"  
Kelso kind of grinned at that, nodding, hey wait a minute.  
"You know that kind of sounded like an insult Eric, the packet should have mentioned that when eating a burrito should it come in contact with the eye it would burn and possibly cause sight loss!"  
"It just came out of the oven! Hot things burn!"  
This was not the first time that they had had this argument and Donna doubted it would be the last, there was definitely something both comforting and pathetic about that.  
"Uh guys do you want to fight about this some more or watch Sam's teary eyed confession and walk of shame into that jail cell?"  
Donna waved the video camera in her hand for emphasis; the plan had worked out better than they had ever dreamed possible. Sam had remained silent the entire car ride to the police station, they probably were an odd sight, a tall red head with a skinny geek pulling a reluctant blonde stripper into the station followed by a foreigner and Kelso. Luckily the policeman in charge remembered Kelso and thus required only the briefest of explanations as to what the hell was going on. The papers and security footage WB had given Donna made their claims all the more substantial and the officer didn't even mind when Eric requested they film as Sam was marched into the cell and the door slammed in her face, he could only hope that her scream of disgust was audible on the tape.  
"Come on little buddy, Eric got some pretty nice shots of Donna's butt when she dove across the table at Sam, girl butt always cheers you up!"  
Fez brightened at the thought, his face displaying his favourite perverted smile; the kind that seemed innocent, and then he would open his mouth and scare the inmates. Eric bit his tongue from making his usual smartass comment as the bumbling duo as ambled through the kitchen discussing the finer points of Donna's posterior. The owner of the posterior in question was remarkably quiet, a hint of a smile gracing her lips.  
"How long do you think it will be before they realise we still have Caroline unconscious in the backseat to deal with?"  
Eric's eyes lit up the way only his can when he had one of his truly brilliant ideas. Hopefully this one would actually be a truly brilliant idea and not those often associated with Kelso.  
"Donna, care for a drive? I think there's something we forgot to drop off at Fez's apartment."  
The tall redhead gazed at the kitchen where the two had left and then back at her long time friend.  
"Why I would love to Eric, it would most definitely be my pleasure."

***

A great cook, a loving if somewhat overbearing wife and mother, helpful neighbour even, yes Kitty Forman was a lot of things; a driver of Red Forman's Toyota, was definitely not meant to be on that list. Red had huffed and puffed his way to the parking lot cursing his shoddy heart along the way; it was the commies fault he was like this, too many nights spent in their damn country, deprived of good ole American comforts. Kitty had taken in his now blood shot eyes, ragged breathing and stooped posture, had clucked her tongue and opened the car door; the driver's side. No amount of protesting could stop her from pulling the hand brake and turning the keys in the ignition. Faking the symptoms of a heart attack had been a mistake too, apparently that was neither funny not appreciated when it was possible that it could happen. Yes, Red loved his wife, but maybe he loved his car just a little more. They had pulled into the driveway, Kitty grinding the gears again earning both winces and thinly covered curses from Red. He knew from the slam of the car door; which earnt another wince, that he was in trouble and he had learnt long ago that apologizing was the way to fix this. Still rather than rush after his wife, apologize and most likely be guilted and manipulated into doing something he really didn't want he remained in the car, his fingers stroking the steering wheel.  
"It's okay, she wont touch you ever again."  
He patted the dashboard of the car giving it a longing sigh before exiting the vehicle to head towards what he was certain would be the death of him; his wife.

***

It wasn't like in the movies, there was no endless tap dripping in the distance, no small bed for her to curl up on and cry. She was in a dirty cell with roughly six other women, the place reeked and she was not enjoying her new nickname of fresh meat. The police officers of Kenosha were really living up to the stereotype pretty much ignoring them in favour of donuts and whatever game was playing on TV. She wanted desperately to call someone, anyone to come to her aid but as she grasped the phone in her palms, her fingers hovering above the buttons, she was hit with a crushing realization; she had no one to call. Placing the phone back in its cradle she wanted to sink to her knees and cry. The other women in the cell looked over her impassively; only here an hour and already a wreck. Her head buried beneath her arms she fought the tears; Vegas really didn't seem so bad now.  
"Samantha Slootz?"  
She shot up so fast she had to grasp the bars to keep from toppling over, her hair was tangled and matted around her face, her clothes ripped and caked with dried blood from where Donna had scratched and torn at her. The right side of her face was swollen and turning a dark purple, according to the accident report she slipt.  
"That's me, is someone here to bail me out?"  
Caroline? She could only imagine what had happened when her friend had come to, it was entirely possible that the four friends would not be found breathing. The Police Officer didn't know whether to laugh or cry, this girl look so pathetically desperate and what he held in his hands could quite possibly send her to the edge and give her a nice big shove.  
"Sorry darling, some guy named Larry just dropped this off for you."  
The blonde stared at the large envelope dubiously her fingers shaking violently as she pulled the small bundle of papers from it.  
"Petition of divorce?"  
Her voice came out as a squeak and it made him cringe.  
"Sorry honey, you've just been served."  
The papers flapped in her hands and she didn't fight her reaction, she just allowed herself to collapse on the grimy floor.

"Adultery and abandonment?"  
She flipped through the pages feeling sick as she saw Larry's scrawl on each one, a small note was scrawled on the back of the envelope. Her eyes raked over it. The police officer was wrong, **this** was that final shove. Written in neat handwriting was a short message but it was enough to make her scream.  
"Samantha,  
Go to hell.  
Larry  
PS. Tell WB thanks for having the trans-am sent back."  
The police officer walked away quickly ignoring the not at all muffled sobs of the collapsed girl and the snickers of the other women in the holding cell. Sam hugged herself as she cried, no one was coming for her, she was all-alone.  
"Is the princess crying? I bet we can make her feel better."  
Scratch that, she wished she were alone.

***

_As my video skills are less than stellar you will just have to imagine said video walk of shame unless someone would like to make one for the enjoyment of everyone else! As always keep reviewing as the next chapter is sure to be tres interesting, I mean whatever will Hyde and Jackie find to talk about? And what was that little convo between Red and Jackie about? Wanna know? Lean in and I'll let you in on a little secret….review and you'll be rewarded with a new chapter very soon! Yes I realise I am shamelessly begging for reviews- I'm okay with that. Lots of love, Pylea xo_

_PS. Hope you enjoyed my send off to Sam, I don't envision her coming back into this story at all, feel free to assume she will now be rotting in a jail somewhere, I know I am!_


	17. That's Life

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own this, I'm just playing around.**

**This chapter is dedicated to the memory of a seventies icon; FARRAH FAWCETT, R.I.P with the others angels**

_Ch17 That's Life…_

***

Something that men had never realized and probably never will, was that shouting at the TV set has no affect on whatever it is they are watching, the referee can't hear you call them a dumbass and the stupid girl wont run up the stairs jut because you are screaming at her to. Kitty was going to mention this to her husband as he yelled at the blur on the television to pull the girls hair, Fez and Kelso were shouting along with him, although Fez was hoping the larger of the two blonde women would tear the other's top off. Kitty had declared the whole thing to be disgusting and she didn't want any part of it, and she didn't, she was merely watching from the crack in the door. That filthy harlot went down hard! Kitty barked out in laughter jumping away from the door and back to the counter where she was stirring the mix for chocolate cake. She hummed as she worked, that girl was far too thin and far too sad. She needed chocolate. Shaking her hips as she worked she failed to notice as her chuckling son and Donna returned. Donna poked Eric in the shoulder, nodding her head at his mother.  
"Mum? Why are you so cheerful, hey is that double fudge chocolate cake?" Leaning over the counter to dip his finger in the bowl he frowned when his mother beat his hand away.  
"This is for Jackie, now that's she's awake I'll make that girl eat something if it's the last thing I do!"  
Kitty shook her head; her face showing grim determination, Donna and Eric exchanged bewildered expressions over her head.  
"Jackie's awake?"  
It would be the only time Donna would ever be described as small, but in that moment she was.  
"Oh yes, her and Steven both, now get out of my kitchen, I still need to make the devilled eggs for Jackie and the butterscotch snap cookies for Steven. Now shoo!" Using a tea towel she whipped at the two until they were forced into the living room.  
"How great would it be if we could watch this but like real slow?"  
"Slow? That is so stupid Kelso, why would they do that? What would be really great is if there was some kind of way we could make a hundred copies of this and sell it. We would be rich, and I could buy a factory that makes candy! Ooh and I could have little men who helped me and they would sing songs, and the whole place would be a magical land and there would be a river of chocolate!"  
Fez had a faraway look in his eye that made Donna vaguely uncomfortable; his hands were wrung together on his lap, twisting in and out over and over again, sweat protruding from his hairline.  
"Excuse me, I have to go now, I have to take of some…things."  
Not waiting for a responses Fez bolted from the room, out the front door. Eric smiling widely at the thought of his good friend's face when he returned home and saw his little surprise.  
"Right in the kisser! Tell me Donna who taught you to throw a punch like that because your father hits like Eric."  
Red smirked at his son his life beginning to feel like normal when Eric began to wheeze and complain.  
"I've been to the darkest reaches of this earth, I think I can throw a punch."  
Donna gave him a look that showed that she didn't really believe that.  
"Of course you can."  
Her tone also portrayed her own lack of conviction in her words.  
"Hey I can totally throw a punch. Hey Kelso! Turn off the TV and let me punch you!"  
Donna snorted as Kelso obediently turned the TV off and Red reclined in his easy chair, his arms resting behind his head.  
"Okay Eric just don't aim for the face, that's the money maker right there."  
Much like a pitcher Eric seemed to wind himself up as he threw the punch, instinctively Kelso ducked and Eric flew forward tripping over a now crouched Kelso and falling in a heap on the floor. Red's loud laughter filled the room as Donna sighed and reached to help her two friends untangle themselves. Things were definitely getting back to normal around here, just not in the ways that counted.

***

All the words just dried up in his throat, his mind went blank and all that was left were his eyes, boring a hole into hers. She hadn't look away either, hadn't said a word, just continued to stare. One of them was going to have to break the silence, and she didn't want it to be her.  
"I wonder why the walls in here aren't padded, you know if they're so worried about us offing ourselves."  
"Yeah, plus they don't even lock the windows, you could just jump and go splat in the car park."  
She bit down onto her lip, her eye lashes brushing her cheeks, Hyde's eyes held a trace of amusement, one look into them and she knew she would lose it and start to giggle, and the giggle would turn into a fit and she would look crazy. The room was small and cramped, the curtain between them pulled back, it was cold and sickly smelling and not comfortable in the way his own room was, the room the two of them had spent countless hours in together, away from the world of burns, water towers and dead beat parents, a world that included only them.  
"Steven?"  
He waited a beat, evening out his breathing which was hitched before replying.  
"Yeah?"  
"I'm sorry about Sam, You were really jerky and kind of an ass but no one deserves what she did to you, well except maybe Whorey Laurie or Wham! Bam! Thank you Pam."  
His forehead crinkled and he turned on his side so he could see her more clearly.  
"What are you talking about?"  
A curse word fell from her mouth earning upturned eyebrows and a smug smirk from Hyde.  
"Does Kitty know you've been spending time with Sailors?"  
Jackie snorted. "Please, I've heard worse things come from her mouth when Red's mum used to visit! And you used to think it was cute when I swore."  
Hyde said nothing, he did think it was cute when she swore, he loved the flush of her cheeks when she realised she had said it aloud; the tips of her ears would burn and make him want to kiss them. She smiled victoriously as he remained silent.  
"Why are you sorry about Sam?"  
Really, it was going to be her that had to tell him about his whore of a wife? That Angel was getting her back for kicking him in the shins, she was sure of it.  
"I don't know all the details, just what Mr and Mrs Forman told me, you're not really married and Sam's not pregnant, she was trying to blackmail your dad. She knew who you were the whole time, she conned you Steven."  
Her voice was so hard it couldn't be chipped with a hammer. Hyde didn't seem shocked, or even slightly dazed; he looked relieved and a little angry.  
"I should probably be surprised right now, disappointed or whatever but I'm not, I'm pissed off." His hands were balled up in fists as he talked, anger coating his voice. "I don't even care that my marriage was a sham. WB and Red are probably fighting over who gets to put their boot up my ass first over this. Where's the helmet, you can superglue it to my head cause not even Kelso is going to be able to top this."  
He laughed lightly, expecting her to join in, or at least tease him, mention that it was his fault to begin with, or that he deserved it, he wouldn't yell back, it was true.  
"Jackie?"  
His legs were weak and could barely support his weight as he swung them over the bed; he collapsed onto her bed, his arms and head flinging across her middle. Her fingers instantly found his curls pulling on them as she shrieked.  
"Steven! Get off!"  
A stray giggle escaped and he smiled, digging his face back into her stomach, enjoying the vibrations he could feel shake her body. Grabbing onto the bed's edge he pulled himself up, lying next to Jackie, face to face, so close her breath tickled his lips.  
"If I apologize are you going to kick me in the shins?"  
Her brown curls, bounced across her face as she shook her head before changing her mind and nodding.  
"Jax, we both know all the dumb things I could say here, and we could have the same stupid argument that we always had but look where that got us. So I'm gonna try something different, and if you ever tell anyone I said this I will deny it till the day I die." Hyde paused only continuing by the nod Jackie gave him as reassurance. "I'm sorry I didn't trust you and that I let Sam stay. You screw things up, you make things fuzzy, you always have and I was too tired to keep up. You make me try Jackie, I'm still waiting for you to realise that that isn't good enough for you."  
He shivered slightly when her hand brushed his cheek, pushing a stray curl from his face.  
"I'm sorry I didn't trust you and I let Kelso stay. Hyde always makes me paranoid, when I said I was leaving I wasn't sure whose answer I was getting; Steven's or Hyde's."  
His cheek felt cool now that her hand was tucked back under her side.  
"Why did you give me that ultimatum Jackie? You knew I wasn't ready to marry you yet, after what had just happened I never understood how you could just push again after you promised not to."  
His eyes scared her now, she wished he would cover them with his stupid glasses and she could hide from his gaze, which seemed able to read her so well. She looked down, but only for a second. His fingers grasped her face and slid it back up, his hand spreading to rest on her cheek. She leaned into inhaling his scent, salty and slightly ashy though she knew it had been days since he had smoked.  
"Something happened Steven, I never told anyone, I was too ashamed, too scared. I'm still scared."  
Over the last few months she had cried for a lot of things, she had promised herself she wouldn't let him see her cry, but the tears forced their way out mixing into the skin of his hand.  
"What happened to you?"  
The words stumbled from his mouth with no conscious thought, she cried harder, her head now fully tucked under his chin. His arm enclosing her back pulling her into him, their legs entwined. His eyes closed and he bit his lip. The sniffles quietened and he loosened his arms allowing Jackie to shuffle backwards and look up at him.  
"I never wanted to tell you, it would make it too real." His hand ran up and down her back in familiar patterns, the same tingle racing her spine that his touch always bought.  
"We'd just come back from seeing your dad at the office and he told you that you were in charge of Grooves and Angie was going to work in the Milwaukee office. You were so excited even if all you could say was 'that's cool'. You kept smiling afterwards totally ruining your zen. Kitty made that big dinner for you to celebrate. I was feeling sick but I didn't want to worry you. I went to the doctor the next day and he ran some tests."  
Her breath hitched and her eyes closed. The skin across her face was so pale he could see the veins pulsing beneath them. This was going to be the hard part.  
"I was nine weeks pregnant." She whispered the last part, her mouth barely moving. "There was something wrong and I'd miscarried, that's why I'd been feeling nauseas and having bad cramps."  
His hand was frozen on her back, his eyes unmoving from her teary gaze.  
"I was so scared Steven, they tried to call my mum but the number I had for her was out of service, I just wanted to hear her voice, at least one of my parents, they would have to understand! They would have to care! They just had to this time, I couldn't call the Forman's or Mr. Pinciotti I was too ashamed. So they tried to call my dad but- but they- but they."  
She seemed to choke on the words, his hand once again rubbed her back.  
"Breathe Jax, just breathe."  
He felt his hand mouth with her body as she breathed in and out deeply, the colour was returning to her face beneath the tracks made from her tears.  
"My Dad was paroled eight months ago, good behaviour or something. He didn't tell me."  
Her mouth continued to move but Hyde could no longer hear the words, his mind no longer processing what she was saying. He could see her coming into his room a few days after that dinner, crawling into his bed and clutching him tightly. He could see her face when she gave the ultimatum and again when she said she was really leaving. He could see all this and realise now what had happened. She hadn't wanted him to marry her right then, she wanted to know he wasn't going to run like her parents, like his parents. Pulling her against his chest, he placed his lips to her hair, mumbling apologies over and over as his hands wove up and down her back, his own bitter tears mixing into her hair.

***

Whistling Fez run up the stairs and into his apartment door, his hand fidgeting too much to focus on getting into the lock, his hand gripped the handle so tightly. It was unlocked, in his hurry he didn't bother to dwell too much on this, he dashed towards his room. The door shut behind him securely he breathed a sigh of relief and reached down for his zipper his eyes closed.  
"Looks like someone could use a hand."  
Fez opened one eye and then the other, his room hadn't looked like this when he left that morning, there certainly hadn't been a girl on his bed surrounded by photos with heads cut out of them. She smiled at him the scissors held in one hand.  
"Caroline, my sweet candy!"  
He smiled widely, his mind screaming one thing, _Sunofabitch!_

_***_

So this is a little short, mainly because I think the stuff with Jackie/Hyde was pretty heavy. Anyways as always all reviews are appreciated and loved!


	18. Oh no

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing =(**

_Ch 18… Oh No…_

_***_

It turns out he was wrong, given how often this occurred he was still relatively shocked by the revelation. Three days, it had been three days and Jackie still refused to see anyone, well except Mr and Mrs Forman because no matter what the floor she was staying on was named she was not in fact crazy. Donna, Kelso even Fez were turned away at the door, Jackie wanted no visitors and neither did Hyde. Donna was getting pissed off, she had even listened to Kelso's plan to use firecrackers to distract the nurses and then sneak into Jackie's room, but he had forgotten one thing. Hyde.  
"It's so stupid, she should at least let us in to apologize."  
Donna was on yet another one of rants about how unfair Jackie was being by not allowing them to see her, Eric had kept his mouth shut about the irony of the statement, just a few weeks ago she hadn't bothered to talk to Jackie and now she wanted to kill the devil for the same offense.  
"How come she hasn't kicked Hyde out of there, I mean he hurt her the most. Everything that happened was his fault anyway."  
For someone who considered herself to be smart Donna must have some kind of memory problem because Eric was certain he had had this conversation with her earlier, hmm it's true what they say about blondes*, there really **is** a wind tunnel in their heads.  
"Oh poor dumb Donna, he broke her heart true, but you stomped all over the shattered remains and turned it into dust! You should be ashamed of yourself! Now I must leave, good day."  
Kelso looked confused as the door slammed behind Fez, the sounds of his angry footsteps echoing in the small stairwell.  
"Uh guys? I don't think he's coming back to say good day again."  
Eric stared at the door, his mouth hanging open in shock, this was not good.  
"I guess this time he really meant it, he even left his gummy worms behind." He leant down and picked up the not yet empty packaging. "I can't eat these, they're tainted." Eric threw the packet at Kelso hitting him in the head spraying the worms all over the floor and Kelso's hair, reaching up calmly he plucked one from behind his ear and bit the head off.  
"I think he's still mad about you leaving Caroline in his bed, it took him twelve hours to chew through the scarves before he could escape and call her parents to come get her."  
Eric chewed on the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing, remembering all too well the mussed up Fez with scratches across his chest and bite marks on his neck when he had burst into the basement two days earlier. Oh well, he'd get over it, as long as Caroline kept her distance of two hundred feet at all times.

***

"You'll have to let them in sometime pumpkin."  
Mina meant well she really did, but lately she could give Mrs Forman a run for her money in sticking her nose in other people's business. Hyde was content to have the basement gang exiled from the little room not that she was talking much with him either. They had had their little moment and talked but she still hadn't forgiven him, it was the elephant that was choking the air out of their room. Neither of them felt like they could approach the subject, too scared by what may come from their mouths, when they fought they had Eric beat with saying the wrong thing at the exact wrong time. Jackie had been giving serious consideration to seeing the counsellor, at least to discuss her problems with Steven, maybe that was exactly what they needed, a mediator, the only problem was convincing Steven to go with her, somehow she didn't feel like pulling the abandonment and Sam card out just yet, it could come in handy later.  
"No I don't Mina, these people abandoned me when I needed them the most! If you can't handle me at my worst then you don't deserve me at my best, Marilyn Monroe said that, my so called friends threw me away and I am not ready to see them not even Fez or Eric. All those two bozos will do is try to convince me to talk to the other two bozos. I'm not ready, I don't know if I ever will be."  
Mina's eyes crinkled with concern looking over at the bed where Hyde was dozing.  
"And him? You can forgive him?"  
Jackie shrugged.  
"I don't know, on one hand he ripped out my heart and stomped on the pieces. But on the other hand I still love the idiot, believe me I've tried to stop and it's useless! He's like a parasite, I can't get rid of him and the sick thing is I don't want to." She shuddered to herself. "I need to and at least try to work things through with Steven, for my sake."  
Mina smiled at the small girl pouting with petulance.  
"How do you plan on doing that?"  
She wrung her hands out in her lap, avoiding Mina's eyes.  
"Jackie?"  
"Well I was kind of hoping **you** would help me with that, I trust you so, well here goes nothing." No reason to be nervous, just take a deep breath and ask. "I want to go to counselling." Mina smiled. "And I want you to be the counsellor."  
There were no words, her throat was closed off to any and all verbal communication. She was still silent minutes later when Mrs Forman pushed through the door carrying plates of food. Jackie eyed the food wearily and ate the smallest of bites, chewing slowly and methodically. Mina watched all this with concern, she wasn't a psychologist, a doctor or a counsellor, she was just a nurse. Jackie smiled weakly as she took another bite looking into Mina's eyes hopefully. Oh hell.  
"Okay."  
Somehow she knew she going to regret this.

***

She was confined to one tiny room and yet she had managed to evade having this conversation with him for four days. That loud, little girl could be as slippery as a Commie, and in Red's world that was a roundabout compliment, the kind that makes you smile and then frown as the connotations hit you. Somehow and Red didn't want to know how, that girl had finally agreed to counselling albeit not with a counsellor, the real surprise was that Steven Hyde his surrogate son had agreed to go with her, maybe he finally had removed his head from his ass after all. So he sat in wait, sneaking cookies from the container Kitty had forced him to bring with him to the hospital, she was determined to make the little one eat, and she was, or she was at least starting to, in the last few days she had gained three pounds. Kitty kept a chart on the refrigerator, something he was not going to tell Jackie, and he'd heard she was a kicker.  
"Mr Forman, what are you doing here?"  
Turning in his chair he was smirking inwardly, she was alone. For once.  
"I believe you owe me a conversation."  
"You know I always thought I'd see Leo make sense before I'd hear you say that."  
Groaning loudly he shifted in his seat as Hyde came in and flopped on his bed, Jackie studiously ignoring him as she flipped through her notebook, tapping her pen up and down in her other hand.  
"Steven, get out. This is between me and the loud one."  
Adjusting his glasses Hyde stretched out on the narrow bed, not making any moves to leave.  
"You deaf as well as dumb, dumbass?"  
"No Red, but what you need to talk about is about well, me."  
If he could be bothered he would have reached for his shoe and thrown it at the boys head.  
"Mr Forman it's okay, Steven and I talked about it, he knows."  
Her voice was so small again, she had looked him in the eye for only a second but it was long enough for him to take in how bloodshot they were. Something else was going on here he could smell it.  
"Good, now Steven what did you do to make the loud one cry?"  
Hyde expelled a large breath, why was it they always blamed him?  
"Steven told Mina that he didn't trust me."  
Oh right, because he usually was the one to blame.  
"No I didn't. I said I didn't trust Kelso around you!"  
"Same thing! You should have trusted that I was not in love with Michael and that I wouldn't do that with him! And so help you God if the next words out of your mouth include; naked, towel and doing it!"  
Red almost laughed, Steven was trying his hardest to keep his face in that damn Zen thing he was always spouting his mouth off about, but he was getting so angry his face was all tightened.  
"Well excuse me, but maybe if you hadn't slept with him like a hundred times I wouldn't be so-"  
"Jealous? Irrational? Stupid? Michael is harmless, you know what he is like, you know that he will always hit on me and that somehow no matter where he is he will almost always lose his pants or end up naked! He wound up naked at my cousin's baptism! It's just the way he is Steven. But you should know me well enough to know that even if he does hit on me that I would not do that to you. That I **didn't** do that to you."  
This was almost as good as those daytime dramas Kitty was so obsessed with. Jackie had a fire in her that had been missing for months, Red could kiss her. The loud one was making a comeback.  
"Kelso said-"  
His ears were bleeding, he was sure of it. That was how loud Jackie's scream was.  
"KELSO IS AN IDIOT! HE'S A KELSO! If I can get past the fact that you are a paranoid scruffy burnout who would rather eat his own arm than tell a person how he feels I think you can get over that!"  
Popcorn, he needed popcorn, preferably drowning in butter.  
"Maybe I would if you didn't call him your boyfriend when you were with me!"  
"I was upset, he was my first boyfriend and hearing about him with other girls and seeing it were two different things. But I'm glad that happened because it made me see how much you meant to me. Of course you can't say the same thing because you ran out and slept with a nurse. Tell me something Steven will you ever stop blaming other people for your problems? I'm insecure cause of my parents, well that just doesn't work. I had sucky parents too and yet I can still tell you I love you! Every time something went wrong in our relationship it was my fault or Kelso's fault, you know what? It was your fault Steven!"  
The two were now nose to nose, Jackie breathing hard, months, possibly even years of pent up frustration had come pouring out. Red felt like clapping, that was the bossy opinionated girl he had grown to tolerate!  
"Oh yeah!"  
"Yeah!"  
He wasn't quite prepared for what happened next, it was so quick, so swift, like it was the most natural of things to happen. Hyde dipped his head and pulled Jackie against him, pressing his lips to hers effectively cutting her off.  
"Oh hell."  
There'd be no way of shutting Kitty up now.

***

No offense to blondes, **I'm** blonde but I am blaming Donna's idiocy on her hair dye cause pretty much as soon as she went blonde she was an idiot and a bitch and not in a good way!

Hey guys, thanks for checking in, it only took 18chapters for some actual HJ smooches. Sadly not all is as it seems cause where would the fun be in that? There is still much of this story to be told my friends and if you want to know what happens you know what you have to do. Stroke my oh so big and fluffy ego! I know at least 40 people are checking this story at and yet only 3 or 4 feel the need to tell me this. Come on we all know lurking is creepy unless you look like David Boreanaz!! Review plz!


	19. Not Again

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, as I am not an idiot who breaks up couples. I understand the Joss Whedon philosophy that happy couples make boring TV but I think that Jackie and Hyde could have been one of the couples (the other being Buffy/Angel) that proved to him that happy coupling could be great to watch!!**

**Ch19…**_**Not Again…**_

***

He really hated that curtain, it was evil. Curtains what kind of person invented them anyway? Some flimsy piece of material meant to give the illusion of privacy, what a joke. Pretty much the second after his lips touched Jackie's that curtain had come up between them, much harder to break down than any of the walls he had built around himself in the last 19 odd years of his life. He hadn't moved from his bed, Jackie's knee to his groin made sure of that, it was times like these he really wished he hadn't taught her that when in doubt to go for the nads, he never thought she would use his own philosophies against him, it sucked. Red's constant laughter had not helped at all, nor had Kitty's disapproving eyes, the only good thing to come out of this was that Jackie had kissed him back, well at least for a second anyway.  
"It really wasn't that funny Red."  
The older man gave him a look, one that clearly said 'oh yeah it was' and then laughed again, the evil laugh of a maniacal killer.  
"Hush Red, Steven might not be able to give us grandbabies anymore!"  
Red's grin widened, he hadn't thought that was possible, now he looked like the Joker, it was actually kind of eerie.  
"Fantastic, I don't want any loudmouthed hippie babies hanging around my house. We've finally gotten rid of this one even if it was only for a few weeks."  
Jackie guffawed loudly from behind the curtain, Hyde glared witheringly at her silhouetted form, she would find that funny.  
"Red honey why don't you visit with Jackie for a minute, Dr. Evans is thinking of transferring her to outpatient care since she's agreed to counseling and gained some weight."  
Oh Karma, dear old friend of mine.  
"You see Red, now instead of loudmouthed hippies you get a loudmouthed cheerleader."  
Red paused at the curtain to smirk at Hyde, Kitty standing nervously beside his bed.  
"When you can take apart and put an engine back together in under an hour you can get away with being a loudmouth too."  
He flung the curtain back behind him disappearing in a whirl of white. Stupid, flimsy, piece of crap.  
"Now Steven, Jackie will be staying with us in Laurie's old room." He tried to stifle the snort, there was no way Jackie would sleep in that room until it had been bleached several times over. "I need you to promise me that you will not do anything to jeopardize her recovery because well- you know that Red and I love you, you're like a son to us but Red has always been protective of girls and he'll kick your butt out of that basement so fast your head will spin."  
Kitty was nervous, she was nervous that he would do something to screw Jackie up and why shouldn't she? He already had a few times before. He hated that crashing wave of guilt that kept dumping over his head, he was trying to keep his head above water but he was failing miserably.  
"No problem Mrs. Forman."  
Her face said she was disbelieving, her eyes that she wasn't convinced, and the pat to his head said she was hoping he would prove her wrong, so was he.

***

"Explain to me again why I'm the one making up the bed?"  
Donna smirked at Eric as he patted the sheets down while she rested her back to the door, grunting each time a body slammed against it.  
"Because you know how to do hospital corners and there's no way you could keep this door closed, you'd end up like Wile. E Coyote after the Road Runner drops an anvil on him."  
"I resent that, kind of. If anyone in this instance is Wile E. Coyote it's definitely Kelso and Fez. Come on Donna, Kelso wanted to paint the side of the hub to look like a tunnel so he could see how many cars drove into the wall! If Red hadn't caught him trying to sneak paint out of the garage who knows what would have happened!"  
Biting down on her lip Donna leaned back heavily against the door ignoring the urge to laugh. She could hear her two friends muttering to each other.  
"You almost done there Eric? Cause the Wonder twins are definitely getting antsy and your parents will kick our asses if there's any evidence those two were in here."  
Eric patted the blanket down and moved the cushions on the bed around, staring at them with a critical eye feigning ignorance to Donna's snickers. Shuddering he reached for the last item that needed to be placed on the bed.  
"I can't believe I'm doing this." He mumbled under his breath. Very carefully he placed it in the middle of the bed supported on either side by the cheerfully fluffy pillows his mother had picked out for the room.  
"Okay I'm done, now all we need to do is keep those two out of here until this afternoon. Thank God you wore a button down shirt today."  
Looking down at her blue plaid shirt Donna felt a momentary pang, it had been months since she had worn it and even longer since Jackie had criticized her for daring to own it. Sighing she undid the first few buttons nodding at Eric to open the door. She pulled her shirt to one side as the two boys crashed into the room. Acting fast before the boys could ruin anything he pointed at Donna.  
"Look Donna's bra strap is showing!"  
Backing out of the room slowly the two boys perpetually controlled by their libido followed her down the stairs and through to the kitchen where Kitty had left a plate of cookies for the two. Eric shot her a thumbs up over Fez's head.  
"Hey Kelso, Kelso's creepy foreign friend."  
Using one perfectly manicured hand, Pam opened the sliding door and beckoned Kelso with one finger.  
"I wanted to use the hot tub but it was all dirty, do you think you guys could clean it for me? And the shower too, I don't want to get the hot tub dirty after you spent all that time cleaning it."  
They really were like the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote, you could see the swirls of air where they heads once had been, their seats still shaking slightly from being vacated so quickly. Pam winked at Donna before she too disappeared.  
"Who would have thought that we would have found a use for Pam Macy other than for embarrassing Kelso?" Eric remarked staring out into the driveway. Donna shrugged coming to stand beside Eric.  
"Oh I don't know, this still has the potential to be very embarrassing for Kelso."  
The two exchanged a glance before sprinting out the door pushing at each other in their hurry.

***

Hospitals are meant to be clean, but there is a difference between clean and sterile. Just taking those first few steps to the car and breathing in the somewhat smoky air of the hospital parking lot made her feel better, as did being rid of those horrible gowns they had insisted she wear and the wheelchair they had forced her to use on her way out. She had tuned out as her doctor told Kitty about which pills she had to take and how much weight she had to gain in order to remain an outpatient. She had already arranged with Mina to come to the house every other day for their counseling which would hopefully be the only time she would spend with her ex, being under the same roof would be hard enough let alone spend the next fifteen or so minutes stuck in the backseat of a car with him.  
"Now honey Eric and Donna have gone over that room with every cleaning product they had at the store, flipped the mattress and got all new bedding. I had Donna bring over your things from the apartment and distract the boys so they wouldn't go through them. And I'm making your favorite dinner tonight."  
Jackie looked stricken, almost helpless at having all this attention being heaped on her. Hyde was peaking at her form behind his glasses where they rested on his nose, he felt so much more secure with them on. This Jackie scared him; she didn't revel in being the centre of attention, at being the special guest. The High School Guidance Counselor had recommended that every time he felt himself getting angry he should count backward from ten and then reply. Maybe instead of gnawing on his knee next time he spoke with Jackie he could try that, if he remembered.  
"And don't you worry, those kettle heads will not be in or around that house once you get there and so help them if they try. I'll show them what Korea can do to a man!"  
He smiled at her through the rearview mirror, all traces of it disappearing when Hyde caught his eye. Her breath hitched as she took in the familiar houses that lined the streets, especially the house she had once called her home before pulling into the driveway of the only one that every felt that way. She didn't have any bags, nothing to carry into the house except herself but she was frozen, stuck in the back of the Toyota, not wanting to leave its relative safety. Hyde lingered wanting to help her but knowing it wasn't his place, not anymore, not yet.  
"Steven! Get the hell out of the car."  
Ok this was just freaky the house was silent. Not quiet, silent. Not even the clocks were making a noise. Even after Red's threats he still have expected to open the closets and find Fez hiding in there or Kelso pretending to be a couch with the cushions covering him. Behind him he could hear Kitty helping Jackie from the car distracting her by gossiping to her, he heard the names Bob and Pam thrown around a lot. She had a death grip on the banister and seemed to take every step as though it was taking her closer to hell, well it was the former room of Satan despite what Eric thought.  
"Ta Da!"  
Kitty opened the door with a flourish pulling the still small girl into the room which no longer resembled the former most trafficked room in Point Place.  
"Wow Mrs. Forman, it looks beautiful!"  
Her voice sounded weak even to her, but Kitty was so excited she barely heard her. She sat on the edge of the bed, the new bedding still had that crisp smell of new, and it was oddly comforting.  
"Eric even grabbed a special someone from your apartment just so you would feel better." She waved the plush toy around her face. It was an instinct, the fluffy toy blurred in her vision as she snatched it from Kitty's hands ripping its head from its body. Moving with energy that had been slowly waning she moved to the window and threw the now dissected toy out the window flying into the Pinciotti yard.  
"Oh My God somebody killed Fluffycakes!"  
"That bastard!"

***

**Hey Guys, just felt the need to update here, a little short but hey it needed to end here. They are back in the Forman House, but is Jackie ready to be back in the basement? And how exactly is Red going to keep everybody from Jackie? Hmmm, well I'll guess you'll just have to review and then wait for my next update to find out. Lucky number 20!**


	20. Locked Out

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything; I'm just borrowing the characters and locations for a little bit to fix the Hindenburg size disaster that was season eight. **

_Ch20...Locked Out…_

***

How was it that an army issue cot that had been used in Korea was more comfortable than a hospital bed? How was it that the cot that had given him a spine that resembled a question mark and smelt more than a little funky felt more like home than anything? These were the questions he pondered whilst enjoying his own private circle time, after all that time in the hospital it had barely taken two hits for him to be completely blissed out. He wasn't worried about Red or Kitty catching him out, they'd still be upstairs with Jackie for a while yet and the basement door was locked something he couldn't actually every remember it being. His room was back to it's grim self, Sam's crap was gone, for good but so were the pillows and candles Jackie had put in there, the only remnants of those days all hidden in a crushed boot box that was hidden under the cot wrapped in old shirts that had more holes than material. He hadn't looked under there in at least six months, he wouldn't be surprised to find a whole new life from living under there. Leaning back into the cot, the blankets bunching under his back and his deformed pillow beneath his head he smiled. There was this car that runs on water and one day he was going to buy it and take his doll for a ride in it.

***

"You know for some reason greasy fries and a burger just aren't doing it for me." Eric tossed the rejected fry on his plate and stared gloomily at it. Donna was beside him twirling her straw in her milkshake absently.  
"Maybe it's because your mum made a massive meal for Jackie and Red wouldn't let us in the house!" Kelso snapped taking a large bite out of his burger not bothering to close his mouth as he chewed.  
"A father burn is quite delicious, I can't believe they changed the locks on you!"  
Donna glared at Fez who seemed oblivious to her anger; he was too busy stealing the abandoned fries in front of Eric.  
"Red said that he'll let me back in tonight but only if I promise that none of you guys are around. I think he was serious guys, he pulled his old military trunk down from the attic, the only thing in that are his old guns and uniform."  
"I look good in a uniform, that's why I joined the cops. Girls love a man in uniform!"  
Donna rolled her eyes at Kelso's egotistical ranting; it was a reflex. All that was missing was a burn from Hyde and a giggle from Jackie.  
"Do they love a man in a security guard uniform? Especially one who isn't even a security guard anymore!"  
Kelso's lip quivered, Fez took offense for him turning on Donna and yelling, his accent becoming thicker with each word, choking them.  
"You know he's sensitive about that! And he only got fired because **someone** forgot to call the Mansion and tell them Kelso would be away for a few weeks!"  
The former red head was aghast, the rest of the hub significantly quieting to listen to the argument unfolding. She stood up, towering over the table, the foreigner shrinking into his seat.  
"Fez that was you!"  
Sweat sprung along his hairline, coating the thick strands that were already caked with hair spray. Eric snorted with laughter at Kelso's expression of disbelief.  
"Liar! That is not true." Fez's breath was coming out in short huffs and his legs were jigging up and down, clear signs that he was lying. "You-you-you lying whore! Take it back!"  
"You know we can always tell when you're lying right Fez? Like before when you told Pam that you checked the Ph levels of the water? She stepped in and started screaming from all the chemicals you threw in there? Her foot turned green! And I have to live with her, she's my-" Donna broke off, she just couldn't say the words, refused to admit that Pam Macy was her father's girlfriend.  
"New step-mommy?" Eric asked sweetly smirking, jerking away before she could hit him although his arm was already aching at the thought of it. Kelso was shaking with laughter in his seat, yet another argument defused by Eric. Donna's fist slammed into his arm, which he gripped tightly.  
"Gee it's good to be home!"

***

The chair squeaked each time he rocked on it; he liked that. He was content sitting in the rickety old chair in front of Jackie's room, his gun leaning against the wall beside him one of his blood and gore books balanced on his lap ready to personally deposit his foot in whoever's ass tried to get through the door. He'd already nailed the window shut so there was no chance of any of the bozos climbing the side of the house and sneaking into Jackie's room that way. The girl had been quiet, too quiet; he'd peeked in but she wasn't asleep just staring at the ceiling unblinking. Kitty had come up no less than five times with food and stood guard as Jackie swallowed every morsel, she'd smile and compliment his wife's culinary skills but that sparkle in her eyes was still absent.  
"Mr. Forman?"  
Her head peered out from the door, her hair not yet up to its usual sheen although Ponch had dropped off several conditioning treatments while she had still been in the hospital, as well as a bunch of other flowery smelling girly crap.  
"Can I use the bathroom? I was writing and my pen kind of leaked all over my hands."  
He liked a kid with manners but it was weird having the girl who used to barge into his house and help herself to anything, state her opinion and not care suddenly ask permission to use the bathroom or shower.  
"Do I look like your keeper?"  
She looked at him pointedly and he glowered, didn't these kids know about rhetorical questions?  
"Shut it, I'll get you a towel. The idiot should be home soon, I told him if he wanted to be let back in to back by 8 and to be alone."  
She smiled weakly at him, the gang would be going nuts without the basement to hang out in, somehow it just wasn't the same watching crappy game shows without the smell of laundry detergent and bad incense in the air. If she breathed in deeply she could almost smell it around her.  
"I can't wait to wash the smell of hospital off me." Jackie admitted wrinkling her nose.  
"Kitty put all that frou-frou stuff in there for you, take your time I'll be right here." Red leaned back the chair squeaking once more, he really did love that noise.

***

Her hips were shaking, and she was whisking in time to the beat humming loudly to the radio. She was in a good mood, her babies were home and Red hadn't shot anyone last night, so far it was a good morning.  
_"__'Cause I try and try to forget you girl,_

_But it's just so hard to do,_

_Every time you do that thing you do"_  
Kitty spun around the pancake batter still in her hands, almost dropping the bowl when she found Steven leaning against the door with a smirk on his face.  
"You almost gave me a heart attack! Which in this family is not a good thing!" Gripping the bowl more tightly Kitty calmed her breathing and concentrated on pouring the mixture into the pan.  
"Sorry Mrs. Forman, smells good."  
"Be a dear and watch this batch for me, I need to wake up Red and Eric."  
Hyde stifled a yawn and waved Kitty off turning his attention to the bubbling circles in the pan expertly flipping them in the air.  
"It took you forever to perfect that, there's still stains on the roof from last summer."  
This time it was Hyde that jumped, thankfully the pan already safely placed back on the flame. Practicing his Zen he reached for the fridge pulling out the strawberries and cutting them into thin slices.  
"You sleep okay?"  
Jackie nodded to his back, coming around to perch on the counter stools.  
"Yeah, I actually got a few hours in." She yawned widely in spite of her words. "Obviously not enough though."  
He nodded at her, pouring some more batter into the pan leaving the other pancakes in the oven to keep warm. The door to the kitchen swung open and Jackie held her breath half expecting to see Kelso and Fez to come barreling through fighting to get to the pancakes. Hyde noticed her sigh of relief when Kitty came to the stove a grumbling Red behind her.  
"No Eric?" He asked with a smirk knowing full well what had happened upstairs, after three years it was practically a tradition.  
"Damn kid still doesn't sleep with his pants on."  
He peeked over at Jackie smiling in satisfaction at the expression of disgust on her face.  
"Jackie sit at the table, Steven get the girl some juice." Kitty pushed him to the fridge once again taking over the kitchen as her domain. He rummaged in the fridge finding only orange juice.  
"Sorry doll, no apple and mango juice for you this morning, just plain old orange." The old nickname rolling off his tongue easily and without thought, unfortunately everyone else picked up on it though they had the tact not to mention it.  
"Orange juice is fine, thanks." She pulled the glass towards her, its contents now oddly fascinating.  
"Do you have any plans for today?" Kitty asked brightly, breezing past the awkwardness. Hyde dumped the strawberries and syrup on the table and pulled out a seat.  
"I have to head to the store, make sure Randy and Leo haven't run us out of business or burnt the place down." Hyde replied sipping from his cup of coffee. Red cleared his throat and looked over at Jackie who was still staring intently at her cup.  
"I've got a few cars in at the shop that need some tinkering with."  
The pancakes steamed on their platter in the middle of the table filling the air with their sweet scent, Jackie concentrated on cutting the pancakes carefully, lining up slices of strawberries and pouring small circles of syrup over them, zoning out of the kitchen conversation.  
"Yay pancakes!"  
Red looked over at his son in distaste, he was practically jiggling in his seat, Betsy was more refined in her behavior and she was barely two years old.  
"Well I think that sounds wonderful Red, why don't you take Jackie in with you to the garage and Eric can help me with the Women's Auxiliary's contribution for the Hospital's charity auction." Eric looked at his mother with alarm, turning to his friend for help.  
"What are the fine ladies of Point Place contributing this year Mrs. Forman?" Hyde asked with a grin rivaling that of the Cheshire cat, Red was also smirking even Jackie had a trace of a smile on her face.  
"We're making the dresses for the fashion parade."  
Africa was probably looking pretty good to Eric right about now.  
"Surely Jackie would rather help you with the pretty dresses rather than getting all dirty and greasy at the garage with Dad? She could stay here and I could go and help out at the garage." Eric suggested hopefully turning his pleading eyes on the girl he had long ago dubbed the devil, there was the slightest trace of the girl he used to know still in there, he was sure of it, he just didn't know if that was going to work for or against him right now.  
"Actually I was going to call Mina about our next session but…" She trailed off taking great care to chew and then swallow another piece of pancake. "I guess I could call her later and spend the day at the garage." Eric's face fell. "I'd hate to leave Mr. Forman with a worker who can't even hold a flashlight properly."

Kitty tried to hide her bark of laughter behind her coffee cup while Red and Hyde just smirked, the latter looking over at the brunette house guest, his eyes hidden by his glasses, the look of pride not known to anyone but him. His girl was still in there somewhere.

***

**Hey Guys, the last reviews were muchly appreciated, yes Fluffycakes is no more, nothing from her relationship with Kelso is still around. Hyde's Led Zeppelin shirt on the other hand…Well you know the drill, review and you will find out! xo**


	21. Helping Out

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, as I am a poor lowly university student who is now broke from the cost of her textbooks!**

**Ch21…**_**Helping Out…**_

*******

Well the store hadn't burnt down, that was the good news, Randy however had allowed Leo to be in charge of ordering stock and now they had two hundred Allman Brothers records to shift, which was the bad news.  
"How the hell are we meant to sell two hundred Allman Brothers records by the end of the month?" Most people's eyes would be stinging; the thick cloud of smoke circling there heads making the air cloying. Leo seemed to be trying to suck the smoke back into his lungs without the aid of the joint that was dangling from a smirking Randy's fingers.  
"I don't know man. Whoa Hyde aren't you in the nuthouse?" Leo was staring intently at his boss; if he wasn't already used to this Hyde would have probably found it quite scary.  
"Leo I was in the hospital with Jackie." He said this slowly not expecting his friend to comprehend what he's saying. Randy was jittering in his seat, his eyes flicking between him and Leo.  
"You know Hyde all I did was give him the order forms, I was gone for half an hour to get my hair done at Fez's salon and when I came back all there were was Allman Brothers records everywhere." Randy shook his head at the memory, the hair falling across his face. "My hair is so shiny, like the sun. Don't look directly at it!" His hands came up to shield his hair earning peals of laughter from Hyde.  
"Who's this Jackie? You should be with loud girl man, she's sad all the time, you should cheer her up!" Hyde's brain slowly whirled to life as Leo's words registered within him.  
"How'd you know Jac- loud girl was sad?" He corrected himself quickly, he had to be fast, Leo's lucidity was fleeting at best.  
"I see her around, she's always alone, she's not loud anymore. It's not right."  
"Yeah I know."  
Whatever high he had had was now gone, sobriety fully kicking in. Sobriety sucks.  
"Hey Hyde? Whose loud girl?" Randy asked his hands still moving in a frenzy blocking his hair from prying eyes.  
"Hyde loves loud girl! They're getting married."  
If it was Kelso he would have simply dived across the circle and tackled him, but this was Leo. Randy was shaking his head, once again hypnotized by his hair. Behind him sat the stacks of Allman Brothers records mocking him.  
"You know if I squint Leo totally looks like one of those dudes on that album cover."  
Hyde smiled; **this** was why he had hired the guy. Clapping Randy on the shoulder he left the circle and headed towards the door.  
"Guys tomorrow we're having an in store recording signing, one of the Allman Brothers is in town."  
"Cool man, I always wanted to meet one of them."  
Hyde just continued to smirk, why bother explaining to Leo that he was the Allman Brother? He wouldn't remember anyway.

***

Thank god his parents had changed the locks. He had closed all the curtains, placed the chain on the door and taken the phone off the hook; no one was getting inside this house.  
"Hold still Eric, I can't have this hem all uneven!" Kitty cried out, of course it had come out a little differently what with all the pins in her mouth but after two hours Eric could translate it in his head pretty easily. The dress was pink with flowers, the sleeves were long and flouncy, he felt very much like Cinderella, and he was dying for someone to rescue him, preferably someone blind so that the amount of people to see him in this dress remained at him and his mother.  
"Who's modelling this dress anyway?" Eric asked mentally running through the women of Point Place that were his height; Donna and Big Rhonda.  
"Just one more second honey and stop twitching."  
His mother had said it almost absentmindedly, not really aware that her words had some kind of deeper meaning. Which they didn't, not really, it was just something Jackie called him, the old Jackie, the bitchy, David Cassidy loving, disco dancing Jackie, he god willing, missed. He had seen glimpses of her, in a look, a comment but nothing substantial, nothing real. Sure she had smiled and laughed, even joked a little but she hadn't been **Jackie**. He couldn't talk about it with his friends, Donna was still too upset and not for the right reasons and Kelso and Fez were, well Kelso and Fez.  
"Oh Donna is going to look so adorable in this dress, it'll be like she's a real girl." She clapped her hands, squealing with delight.  
"Donna is a real girl mum." He explained this gently, she was armed with pins after all.  
"Well it's not like you can tell what with all that plaid she wears, and the mouth on her! Fez is more feminine! Now just one second." Kitty stook back to admire her work not at all noticing Eric rolling his eyes. "Well it's almost perfect, something's missing, what could it be?"  
"Oh I don't know maybe a girl to wear it?" He cried out scratching at his wrists, this dress was itchy, how did Fez stand it? Oh yeah he was drunk. His mother just ignored him, too bust rummaging through her sewing box.  
"Aha!"  
Oh boy, she'd found something. Armed with a bow she pinned it to Eric's hip.  
"Now it's perfect! Don't you think Eric?"  
"Oh yeah mum, I'm a fairy princess!" He used a high-pitched girlie voice as he said this, sarcasm oozing into his words. He closed his eyes, there was a sentence he never though he'd say.  
"Smile!"  
Eric opened his eyes and immediately regretted the decision being momentarily blinded by the flash of his mother's camera. He fell forward tripping over the skirt of the dress in his haste to get to his mother and the evidence this afternoon ever took place. Black circles coloured his vision, he was being guided by his mother's characteristic giggles, the door in the kitchen swung open and he raced after her all thoughts of his outfit in the back of his mind.  
"Give me the camera mum!"  
Kitty was quiet looking over his shoulder at something; he felt the colour drain from his face, the pink of the skirt flitting into his vision. He turned around slowly with as much dignity as he had, which wasn't much. He opened his eyes one by one and smiled, it was only Fez.  
"I thought I had made this clear! **I** am the man in the group that wears the dresses!"  
Fez glared at Eric once more and then stomped back down the driveway. Okay, that was a little weird.  
"Mum can I take this off now?"  
"Oh I don't know Eric, I think pink really is your colour."  
Turning back to his mother he cursed inwardly at Donna smiling at him biting back laughter.  
"No I believe it's your colour Donna, after all mum made this for you!"  
Now it was Donna's turn to feel the colour drain from her face, Eric crossed his arms and cheered silently, taking a step towards the door he tripped on the skirt, a loud rip accompanying his fall.  
"Damn it Eric, now we'll have to work through tonight!"  
Oh hell, there goes his evening.

***

The place was grimy; oil stained the floor, the benches and even the windows. The jumpsuit Red wore had once been grey but was now black and smudges the same colour dotted her arms and face and she loved it. She even loved the oversized shirt he had given her that reached mid thigh and the name stitched into it, Jack, with an extra ie scrawled on the end in permanent marker. Oil smudges decorated her legs which disappeared from view as she wheeled herself under the car. Some people probably would have found it claustrophobic and possibly gotten nauseated from the fumes but she loved the smell, after all it was the first time she ever realized that Red and Steven were human, actually had feelings.  
"How's it looking under there Jackie?"  
She wheeled herself back out from under the car to look at Red, his voice had sounded muffled and now she knew why, he was stuffing his face with a burger, she looked at him slyly with one eyebrow raised and he just smirked back.  
"The thingie with the black circle mabob was loose so I-" She broke off when she saw Red's stricken face. "Don't worry, I fixed it."  
"Oh I'm not worried about that, I actually understood what you were saying before that."  
Jackie giggled, wiping her hands on the shirt.  
"Well all the names sound the same and really as long as I can fix it what does it matter if I can't name them all?"  
Red shook his head at her logic that made sense to him as well.  
"Don't tell every tell anybody that I agree with you, got it?"  
"Got it." Her hair was on its way to being shiny again, right now it was piled on top of her head, stretching upwards she pulled it out letting it fall around her shoulders.  
"You get fries with that burger?" She asked hopefully, she was actually hungry.  
"Steven bought over lunch, there's fries and a strawberry milkshake waiting for you in the break room."  
She smiled at the thought, she loved dipping her fries in her milkshake, she'd given Steven a heart attack the first time he'd seen her do it and past it off as a pregnancy craving.  
"Is he still here?"  
Red nodded as he swallowed the last of his burger.  
"Yep he said he needed to talk to you about something."  
"Right." Jackie muttered as she walked towards the back, Red at her heels.  
"I'll be right out here." He whispered, he straightened up quickly and pushed the door open for her  
"Oh and if Kitty asks her cucumber sandwich was delicious." He said this with a grimace as he threw the offending sandwich in the bin shuddering slightly. Jackie giggled as he disappeared back through the door; it was funny she felt more like herself in this dirty and smelly old garage.  
"Steven?"  
He hadn't moved from his spot at the table since she had come in, hadn't spoken, hadn't blinked. She moved forward hesitantly pulling herself up on the bench next to the food, crossing her legs underneath her. He shook his head and coughed, shouldn't she be wearing pants?  
"Hey Jackie, I wanted to check when Mina was coming over."  
It sounded like a lame excuse even to him, they lived under the same roof, this couldn't have waited three hours?  
"I was going to call her tonight, is tomorrow afternoon okay?"  
The fries were crunchy with extra salt, just the way she liked it; the sweetness of the milkshake off setting the salt perfectly. For all the zen in the world Hyde couldn't stop himself from wrinkling his nose as she ate the milky covered fry.  
"Yeah that's fine, Randy and Leo can cover the records signing although I think I'm going to have to start docking Randy's pay every time he skips out to the beauty salon."  
"I think he would actually end up owing you money then, Fez said he comes by at least once a day, he's worse than a girl." She dismissed this with a wave of her hand enjoying the not awkward conversation with Steven; as long as they avoided any topics that were personal they were fine. "Wait what record signing?"  
Hyde smirked, it was his I'm a diabolical evil genius smirk and was usually reserved for when he was being truly evil, though she was loath to admit it she loved that smirk.  
"Well it seems that Leo is one of the Allman Brothers, or at least that's what I'm hoping the dumb citizens of Point Place will believe."  
"You are evil."  
"You love it."  
Both fell quiet, there easy banter effectively stonewalled. Jackie slipped down from the bench, the smile on her face slipping away with her.  
"Yeah, that's the problem."  
She fled from the room before he could even react; it was only once she was safely hidden underneath the car that she allowed the tears to fall from her eyes. She remained silent, allowing the tears to spill down her face mixing with the smudges of grease and oil, wanting to remain hidden from the world, she could hear Steven cursing and calling out her name, it echoed in the empty room. She would stay here safe from the world.  
"Oh hell, what did you do this time?"  
She sucked in a breath, oh dear god, this was too much, too familiar and yet she couldn't move.  
"What I'm best at, I hurt her. I'm no good for her Red I'm just going to screw it up again like always."  
Red's spanner clattered on the ground next to his feet and Jackie prayed to the Gods that neither of them bent down to retrieve it and gave her away.  
"Welcome to being an adult. Stay here there's something I need to show you."  
She could see the scuffed toes of his boots, the same boots she had bought him, the same purple love heart with their initials drawn on the underside. She was a jumble of nerves, worried about what Red wanted to show him, about being found out but most of all about what he had said.

***

**Okay guys, so instead of reading The Odyssey by Homer like I was supposed to I wrote this chappie! I know you all agree with my decision. Anyways I hope you liked this; Red and Hyde will be having a very important chat, any guesses what he needs to show the young dumbass? And what exactly will happen in their next counselling session? Will the gang ever be allowed back in the basement? Well I know and you will too, eventually…**


	22. Seeing Clearly

**DISCLAIMER: Yeah, nope I am sadly not in the money…**

**Ch22…**_**Seeing Clearly**_

***

The puppy dog look had always worked for Jackie and Fez so he thought he might as well try. Brooke thought he looked ridiculous, hands curled under his chin, bottom lip wobbling, it was all she could do not to laugh. Bouncing Betsy on her knee she looked away trying to keep a straight face.  
"Please Brooke, Jackie's really sad and how can anyone stay sad when they look at the most beautiful girl in the world?" He asked making faces at his little girl, she had his nose clasped in her tiny palm.  
"I don't know Michael; I don't like the idea of Betsy in your car for that long of a drive. The last time you forgot to put the top up and that bird swooped you and you almost ran off the road."  
"Well, you could come too! Visit your old friends in Point Place, we can take your car. Come on it'll be fun!" He was now on his knees, eye level to his not-quite girlfriend, she was waning he could tell, she was biting her lip and playing with Betsy's hands.  
"I guess it would be fun to catch up with the girls from the library and Mrs. Forman called last week begging to have Betsy for the night, something about missing her babies."  
The smile that broke out across Kelso's face was blinding.  
"Yes!" He thrust his fist in the air pulling Betsy from Brooke and spinning her around. "You're coming to Point Place princess and you're going to see your God-Mother Jackie and make her all happy again!" He looked over Betsy's head at Brooke who was giggling at him. "Thanks Brooke." Without much thought he pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Road trip!"  
Kelso danced out of the room Betsy 'flying' through the air, thankfully having learnt to keep both hands on the baby and his eyes open. Brooke shook her head and pulled a notepad and pen towards her. A road trip with Michael, she'd definitely need to restock the first aid kit.

***

Red was staring down at his hands cleaning them methodically with a rag.  
"You can come out now, he's gone."  
Jackie rolled out from under the car, somewhat sheepishly, her eyes were bloodshot and her smile was feeble at best.  
"How'd you know I was down there?"  
Red just looked at her, which she accepted with a shrug. Standing up she leant against the bench.  
"What did you show Steven that had him running like Led Zeppelin was playing a concert out in the street?"  
Red grinned cockily at the young girl, she was starting to resemble the one he used to know.  
"You'll see soon enough."  
He turned away placing his tools back in their places pretending not to notice the young girl slip away, or the door slam shut behind her a few minutes later. Red whistled and walked over to the phone.  
"Kitty? Call Mina, Steven and Jackie will be needing a session this afternoon."  
Kitty sighed over the line, the back of the ruined dress spread across her lap, one hand holding the needle through the frayed fabric.  
"What did you do Red?"  
Red smirked, that wife of his knew him better than he gave her credit for.  
"I just gave Steven a kick up the ass, you know he needed it."  
Kitty wedged the phone between her shoulder and head breathing outwards loudly as she resumed fixing the torn hem.  
"Well okay Red but if that boy runs off and marries a hooker this time there will be hell to pay!"  
"Agreed." Red chuckled, only his wife heard him chuckle to everyone else it was an evil laugh of glee.  
"Well goodbye Red I need to fix the hem of the skirt your son ruined, damn near put his foot through it trying to run away from Donna."  
The line went dead and Red frowned to himself, trying to make sense of what his wife had said but as usual when things concerned his son he could only come to one conclusion.  
"That boy is a dumbass."

***

He had walked not trusting himself with his beloved El Camino, sure he had driven her drunk, stoned, angry, through torrential rain but he couldn't drive now with his mind clouded by thoughts, his attention focused solely on a mismatched eyed brunette. His feet had taken him all through the small town he knew he would inevitably call home forever, the alleyways, the stores, the schools, playgrounds and parks. He had walked the street to the one home he had ever really known, walked in and turned back around and left, the sight of Eric in a dress with Kitty frantically pinning the bottom of the rather poufy skirt. Any other day he would have been rolling on the floor his stomach aching from laughter but not today. He had walked back out once again letting his feet take him where they will, his brain shifting through his many thoughts. The water tower with its memories both sweet and not, his feet hadn't even slowed at the base of it, guiding him past the ladder and into the thick shrubbery that surrounded it only stopping once at the base of a tree in a small clearing hidden from most. His place, found only after leaving the car in drive instead of reverse and plowing through bushes and into the private clearing. How dumb he had been, Kitty had pointed her fingers together and pursed her lips delighting in the sound she made, his fingers brushed his chest, it hurt there. Why had he taken her there of all places on their Veteran's day date? Why show her the one place no one else knew about, the place he went to be alone. It wasn't just his place after that it had become theirs. The tree he was now slumped upon bearing the markings of it, the shabby heart with their initials and the one world Jackie had bestowed upon them; _always._ It was getting late, nearing the evening at least and his hands had begun to ache from the pressure of clasping the book in them. He held onto it so tightly, the edges having made grooves in his palms. What was inside haunted him, he knew why Red had shown him it and that fact scared him.

_Red had disappeared for a few minutes returning with his hands obviously holding something behind him. He had leant thoughtfully against the car, his prize still hidden from view.  
"When Kelso got Brooke pregnant and was running around like the idiot he is do you remember what you told him?"  
Red had that stern look on his face, his 'I take crap from no one' face, the one that had always scared everybody into abandoning whatever smartass comment they had and answer truthfully.  
"Yeah, I told him to man up and be there for her."  
"Why?"  
"What do you mean why?" Hyde asked trying not to let his aggravation show. "Isn't that fricking obvious? He had a responsibility to Brooke and to the baby. He owed it to her to be there."  
"That's good advice." Red had pulled the book out and was flipping the pages casually just slow enough for him to recognise the writing it held within. "Manning up to your responsibilities, you should try that sometime."  
Red really knew how to make someone feel small.  
"Red come on, it's a completely different situation!" He protested weakly knowing what Red was hinting at, what had happened, how it had almost been them.  
"You owe it to that girl to at least try instead of being the little boy who always runs." He placed the book in Steven's hands, closing his fingers over it. "It's not meant to be easy, or simple or like in those stupid movies Kitty loves. It's hard and it hurts and sometimes it's more than you can bear, but that's the test. I just thought you were a bigger man than that, and I'm not the only one."  
He had stayed still, too afraid to open the book, too curious not to, Red had watched him for a few moments, the way his face had darkened.  
"Don't you have a business to ruin?" Red had barked at him at once resuming his role as the reluctant father of the group, impatient for all his 'kids' to leave. But he had already been gone, lost to the swirl of thoughts that now clouded his mind spilling over and choking him. _

His hands wavered over the cover, the cheerful yellow with letters cut out from magazines stuck on the front spelling out 'memories', the front page was a photo one he couldn't remember having been taken, they were on his chair, Jackie curled up against him, her head resting against his chest, his arm holding her securely, a small smile on her lips that matched the one on his own. She had inked dozens of hearts around the snapshot filling the rest of the page. There were more of them every few pages, them asleep, with the gang, dressed for that stupid disco and the prom, at Christmas and birthdays, when he'd met WB and the day Grooves had opened all with little doodles surrounding them. Her careful cursive spilled across the pages some things he recognized some he didn't, lyrics, poems and quotes; from movies, from people, from books. Her favourite one had it's on page, written out carefully and the page left blank to emphasis its significance, he never thought that Marilyn Monroe could be smart. 'If a man can't handle me at my worst, he sure as hell doesn't deserve me at my best.' He could imagine Jackie saying it, the way her lips would pout and her hip would jut out. The lyrics too he recognized some from songs he loved, some were songs that reminded her of them and some were her own, those were the ones that hurt. The pages were stained with tear marks and the pen had been pushed so hard there were indentations showing through. Some were angry, some were sad but mostly they were Jackie. His fingers traced the words and he could imagine her saying them to him.

…_Yesterday never seemed so far away, all this time you've been right in front of me. It took so long for me to find you…_

…_Thought it looks as if it's over I'm still not over you cause I still love you like I did before…_

…_And I wonder where these dreams go when the world gets in your way. What's he point in all this screaming? No one's listening anyway…_

…_Jumping to conclusions, made me fall away from you…_

…_I'm speechless and faded, it's too complicated…_

…_It's funny how we feel so much but we cannot say a word, we are screaming inside but we can't be heard…_

His fingers were getting cut from the pages, bloodying some of them as he flicked through faster and faster absorbing it all and yet still not sated enough. It was getting darker and he had skipped to the end knowing she had been writing recently. His hand followed the words scrawled across the page, marred with corrections and doodles. His lips closed over the words and his thoughts flowed freely into one single decision.  
"Love is the answer at least for most of the questions in my heart, like why are we here? And where do we go? And how come it's so hard? It's not always easy and sometimes life can be deceiving I'll tell you one thing, it's always better when we're together."

***

She had ran, ran from the garage not caring that she was smeared with grease and still wearing a shirt several sizes too big on her, ran as far as her feet could take her, past the familiar sights she had lived amongst and to the small lake she had gotten sick from years ago. She hadn't gotten sick the last time she had gone there with Steven, or the time before that. The water was deliciously cool against her tired and hot feet and she was certain no one would find her here. Had it really only been days? How could one's life change so dramatically in that short period of time? Her life had been turned on its head within minutes time and time again but she had thought it would be different now, that she was different now. But she wasn't, not completely, she was still the girl who loved the boy and wanted him to love her. She wasn't angry anymore but she wasn't numb to it all either, it wasn't consuming her whole it was within her grasp. She could deal with this, but not alone. Her feet felt clammy once back in her shoes but she ignored, there was someone she needed to talk to and she knew where to find them.

***

**Hey guys, **

**The songs I used as part of Jackie's notebook are as follows. I only used part of the songs because they fit, but other parts don't, so don't nit pick too much please!**

**- Never Let You Go – Evermore  
- If Only She Knew – Michelle Branch  
- Acoustic #3 – Goo Goo Dolls  
- Best of Me – The Starting Line  
- I Will Remember You – Sarah McLachlan  
- Better Together – Jack Johnson**

**As always your beautiful reviews are always appreciated, who is Jackie going to see? Oddly enough I became inspired to write this during my women's writing lecture. Sorry about the update taking FORever, I've been sick with a kidney infection which is just as much fun as it sounds! So not.**_  
_


	23. Opening Up

**DISCLAIMER: Yeah right!**

_**Chapter 23…Opening Up…**_

***

The cheerful bell above the door went crazy as it swung open with force, the door smacking back into place. Fez had his manic smile on his face, the one he used when he didn't want to provoke the angry bear. Grasping his friend's hand he led her over to the chair and pushed her in it.  
"I can't take this anymore!"  
Oh wow, she was complaining what an entirely new concept for her! Placing the smock around her neck, slightly tighter than needed Fez rolled his eyes signalling to one of the stylists to come over.  
"Calm down you crazy woman!" He scolded her swinging the chair so she faced him and not the mirror. "Now what is wrong besides Eric pretending he looks half as good in a dress as I!"  
The stylist skilfully ignored this, working with Fez was always entertaining but you developed a filter when it came to the things that left his mouth. Mixing the palette he looked at the colours the foreigner had chosen and then back at the blonde and shrugged, if it was wrong he could always blame Fez.  
"It's this whole thing with Jackie!" Donna fought a shiver as the cool mixture was applied to her hair. "What am I supposed to do Fez, I know I messed up but I can't make it up to her if she wont let me!"  
"Maybe she doesn't want you to make it up to her. You forget, Jackie is an ex-cheerleader; she holds grudges longer than the mob."  
Eric was right; Donna really didn't understand how badly she had screwed up.  
"But it's not fair!" The colour drained from her face. "Oh dear god I'm starting to sound like her!"  
"It's simple Donna, you screwed up and you know it, we all did but you were the worst. Hyde hurt her and I hurt her but you were her best friend. You were meant to hate Sam more than she did not become the buddy of her bosom! Miss Kitty is right, all that bleach must have seeped into your brain and stolen your personality!" The accent was thick and small flecks of spit were flying from his mouth. "I cannot look at you right now you selfish son of a bitch! Good day!"  
The bell went crazy once more as Fez slammed the door behind him in a slew of muttered, unintelligible words. The customers of the salon were staring after him while the stylists and reception ignored it, more than familiar with Fez's dramatics.  
"But Fez-" She whispered tears springing to her eyes. His palm banged against the window holding up a small piece of paper scrawled with black writing; 'I said Good Day.'  
"Hey girls mark it down that's the second time today!" Donna's stylist called out with a giggle, the receptionist placing a tick on a small blackboard next to Good Day. Her head slick with dye Donna sat stoically, when had this become her life?

***

"Oh thank God you're here!" The Brunette had clutched onto his arm rather tightly all but cutting off his circulation; there would be bruises tomorrow, five small fingerprint sized ones.  
"Of course I'm here, you sold me out this morning remember?" Eric gestured down at the dress; Jackie hid her snicker behind her hand, pissing him off wouldn't do her much good right now. Ignoring the tall spindly man in the dress she turned to his mother hunched over the bottom of the skirt frantically pinning.  
"Mrs. Forman, I **really** need to talk to Eric, it's important." She pouted for good measure even though she knew the older woman would give in, she still had at least a few more weeks before she would start denying her things.  
"Oh of course dear, Eric honey go change, I can finish the rest without you."  
He just stood there a moment, mouth agape staring at his mother. Jackie bit back another peel of laughter as he flounced upstairs slamming his bedroom door shut behind him. His ear-piercing squeal shattered the air in the lounge moments later causing Kitty to wince.  
"Be careful there's still pins in the seams!"  
He appeared minutes later dressed in jeans and a crumpled shirt, the dress thrown over his shoulder limping slightly, tiny droplets of blood decorated his feet.  
"Oh shoo, into the kitchen I don't want to have to clean blood off the carpet!"  
"Wow that's real nice Mum, who knows where those pins have been, my foot could be developing some serious infection right now and need to be cut off!"  
"Eric hurry up!" Jackie yanked on his arm while Kitty shook her head at his theatrics.  
"Well at least you'll have the memory of life with two feet and I'll love you anyway!"  
The kitchen door swung shut cutting off Eric's reply, the sliding door was still covered but it just didn't feel right to be having this conversation in there, inspiration gleamed in Jackie's eye, she knew exactly where to have this conversation.  
"Oh Eric what am I going to do?"  
He looked down alarmed at the girl who had dragged him around his house before settling on the stoop and promptly bursting into tears, if Red came home and saw this that shovel out the back would be getting some good use that night, he wasn't paranoid Red was measuring out plots on the lawn the other day. Sure he said it was for Kitty's new garden but Eric knew better.  
"Jackie isn't there someone else you should be talking to about this? You know anyone else that's not me?"  
Despite the pleading in his voice there was underlying note of affection for the devil, sure she could be the most annoying part of his day but it wouldn't really be complete without it.  
"I can't, there's no one else Eric! I'm just so confused!"  
His arms immediately came to encircle the girl rubbing comforting circles into her back, he hated when his brother was right; it really was impossible to say no to Jackie when she was crying. He had been waiting for this since he had come back, waited through the anger, the hurt, the denial and now here it was the acceptance.  
"Confused about what?"  
He had a pretty good idea what this was about; what it was almost always about.  
"Everything! I thought it was going to be different now, I thought I could handle it but it just feels like every time I finally get to the top of everything I fall back down. I just don't know how much more I can take! I know I have to talk to Donna and Kelso and Fez but I can't. How am I supposed to talk to them after the way they treated me. I mean I can forgive the moron twins because it's not like they can help it but Donna? She was like a sister to me, I helped her when she first liked you and was nervous about your birthday and your first date and when you guys broke up and when her mum left and the whole wedding fiasco. I know everyone thinks I should just forgive her but how can I?"  
Her voice sounded so small and choked with tears, Eric remained silent for once actually wanting her to keep talking.  
"I know she took me in when no one else did but really that's about the most she's ever done for me. When I was with Kelso she **knew** he was cheating on me and said nothing and then she just took off with him to California and never once made him call me. She was against Steven and me from the beginning and told me how unnatural we were all the time and then she accused me of being in the wrong after he cheated on me! And that's not even including the last few months with the slut!"  
Her chest was ragged from raspy breaths, her bloodshot eyes locked onto his.  
"I know she's your girlfriend and you love her but I don't think I can forgive her this time and even if I did I wouldn't forget. I'll never be comfortable with her again, not like I was, I just don't trust her."  
"I know and truthfully I don't know how forgiving I would be in the same situation."  
Jackie sniffled trying to keep her head from spinning from the thoughts that were crammed in there.  
"But with Steven it's different. As much as I hated what he did at least I can understand that, I understand him. We're more alike than people realise, no one ever asked why I stayed with Kelso all that time, no one cared. I know what you guys thought of me, how much you hated me, wondered why I always came around."  
Her voice was becoming steadily stronger, more resolute.  
"But Steven knew, he knew I'd rather be with Kelso and hated by you guys than at home and ignored. I need the spotlight Eric, need the attention otherwise I'm nothing, no one would even realise I was there. Do you know what it feels like to know that if one day you just stopped being there that no one would care or even notice? At least as Snow Queen and bitch of Point Place people noticed me, knew me, thought about me."  
His hands had stilled on her back as her words sunk in, just how many times had he and Hyde gotten into one of those intense what does it all mean discussions and waxed poetic on this. Sure they laughed it off later as being the kind on nonsensical ramblings they always got from the circle but he knew. Knew why Hyde got in trouble, why he hid behind the shades and didn't let people in.  
"You love him."  
She nodded against his chest; her face still buried there, a place she never thought she would be.  
"I just don't if that's enough anymore."  
"Does he know all this, I mean have you ever actually told him?"  
Eric had never really given their relationship much thought, no one had, the assumption was that it was a convenience thing and mainly physical. He had a hard time picturing the two having actual conversations but they must have. Jackie ran her hand through her giving Eric a look.  
"Of course I have, we used to talk all the time." A faint smile played on her lips "You know right after my mum left and he found out I'd been staying in the house alone we had this massive fight. It was so stupid, I was being stubborn and he was being such a jerk but then I realized why he was acting that way. It was because he was worried about me, about something happening to me. That's the kind of guy he is, however misguided, he wants to protect you, and himself."  
"Yeah I know." He agreed softly remembering all too vividly the many times his brother had had his back. Jackie's sniffles had all but stopped, the tears no longer running freely down her cheeks, and she felt better. Every once in a while you just needed a good cry.  
"God, what am I supposed to do Eric? I can't just pretend these last few months never happened, I'm not the same person I was."  
Her hands were buried in her hair, coming down and rubbing her face smearing the grease that lay across her skin. To anyone passing by it would be an odd sight, a grease covered girl dressed in an oversized shirt, hugging into the side of an unusually tan Eric Forman who was patting her shoulder.  
"Every time I'm around him I can feel myself being pulled back in and I-"  
Eric grunted cutting her off. Pulling himself up offering his hand to Jackie who looked at it rather dubiously.  
"I'm about to break the sanctity of the circle and do something I swore I would never do."  
She shrunk back away from his hand remembering the various codes of conduct Steven had drilled into her before allowing her access to the circle. Grabbing both of her wrists Eric hoisted her up and yanked her with him towards the basement. Anxiety pulled at her as he charged on ahead.  
"Eric, what are you doing?"  
The two pulled to a stop at the top of the basement stairs, Eric swung her around to face him, both hands on her shoulders; they felt as heavy as lead. Uncertainty flickered across her eyes while Eric chewed on his lip doubt filling him; maybe this wasn't the best idea.  
"Well it seemed like a good idea but then I remembered that my good ideas are never good so much as god-awful. Why couldn't you ask me for help with something easy? Like naming each character in Star Wars as they were introduced or how Princess Leia-"  
The spluttering of an engine cut Eric off and not a moment too soon. Jackie instinctively ducked behind him, that wasn't the sound of the Toyota or the El Camino.  
"Damn it!" Eric cursed as Jackie's nails dug into his arms. "Retract claws! Retract claws woman! It's just Brooke's car."  
She poked her head around the side of Eric instantly recognizing the gorgeous librarian and her somewhat hopeful looking passenger. Without much thought Jackie raced inside, the sliding door screeching closed behind her. The three adults stared after her half expecting dust to be swirling behind her. Eric sighed, that shovel was definitely getting a workout tonight, just hopefully for Kelso and not him.

***

He had thought about getting up, had thought about walking back to town, about going home, about seeing Jackie and actually talking to her. He had thought about a lot of things. He had contemplated every scenario, from the ones, which ended with him getting stitches from the beer bottle she threw at his head, to the ones where the two got into one of their infamous arguments and then spend a lot of time making up. He hadn't really given much credibility to any of these scenarios, just residual thoughts from his circle time that morning with Randy and Leo. But now it was dark in the clearing, his arm ached and itched beneath the cast and one look at the night sky told him it wouldn't be long before fat droplets of water fell down from the sky. He still had no idea what the hell he was going to do, what he was going to say but he knew the first step. The small book clutched in his hand, his thumb absently tracing the cover, there was a question hidden in the words of the book and for once his answer wasn't going to be 'I don't know'.

***

**Life has been very busy lately just about everybody I know is turning 21 and feeling the need to celebrate it. Fear not I will not forget my readers and faithful reviewers. Special shout out to 'Silent Falling Rain' for reviewing every chapter, your reviews definitely make me smile =D**


	24. Something's Up

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, which is sad really because unlike CERTAIN people, I'm not an obviously inbred psycho who thinks storylines such as season 8 made for good viewing. **

_**Ch24… Something's Up…**_

***

She was going to kill Fez, slowly, tear him limb from limb. Donna paused and stared at her hair in the small mirror from her purse why she carried the thing she had no idea, the rich red colour once again coated her locks. She was going to kill that pervy little foreigner.  
"Whoa ho, looks like big red is back!"  
Stepping away from her letterbox she crossed over to the Forman's driveway looking at Kelso in confusion.  
"I thought you went back to Chicago?" She asked frogging him in the arm as she stole the basketball from him. "And don't call me big red."  
Kelso rolled his eyes as he jogged after her for the ball.  
"Gees, sorry jugs-a-popping! I brought Brooke and Betsy down, I thought Jackie might want a visit from her god daughter."  
She considered throwing the ball at his head but Kelso had surprisingly good reaction time and she would more than likely end up throwing the ball into the Forman kitchen through the door.  
"Don't call me that either, **Michelle**!" She dribbled the ball a few steps before taking a shot. "So let me guess, they let Brooke and Betsy in and told you to wait outside?" She smiled inwardly as Kelso frowned and nodded.  
"Yeah, Jackie took one look at me and bolted, then Red showed up and started chasing me with a shovel, muttering something about getting the measurements right but that was at least two hours ago."  
"So why are you still here?"  
Kelso shrugged flopping on the ground under the net hugging the ball to his chest.  
"Brooke's got the keys to the car."  
Donna snorted before collapsing next to Kelso and staring up at the window to Jackie's room.  
"Do you think things will ever go back to the way they were?" Kelso asked, Donna turned and looked at him, her usually goofy friend looked sombre and it made her sad. Resting her head on his shoulder she sighed.  
"I don't know Kelso, I really don't know."  
He slung his arm around her shoulder and this time when his hand crept lower towards her chest she didn't even yell at him, she just laughed and pushed his hand away.  
"Give it up Kelso."  
The goofy smile returned to his face and Donna shoved him.  
"I had to try!"  
Grabbing the ball Kelso took a shot hitting the rim and ducking as it bounced off and smashed through the window. Donna exchanged a look with Kelso before sprinting through the bushes to her house the loud bellow of Red Forman making her run faster.  
"Damn it Kelso!"  
Kelso was frozen to the spot, the outline of Red through the window scaring him.  
"Put down that shovel Red!"  
And that was when he started to run.

***

She had worked out how to handle all this, she had a routine she went through but there was a problem; Hyde held the centre of her routine in his hands, wherever they were. Downstairs Brooke was enjoying dinner with the Forman's, dinner that Jackie had all but inhaled before returning to her room. She liked Brooke; she had to admire anyone who could juggle a Kelso and a baby, which really must be like having twins. When she had fled the room Eric and Betsy had seemed to be in the middle of a competition to see who could cover their faces and clothes with more mashed potatoes.  
"Jackie, can I come in?"  
She nodded to herself before realizing they couldn't see her.  
"Sure."  
Her voice was soft; she was still hurting from her conversation with Eric. Brooke slipped into the dimly lit room a small bundle wrapped up in her arms.  
"Someone misses their Aunty Jackie."  
She smiled weakly at Brooke gesturing for her to join her on the bed. Betsy's eyes were heavy lidded and she had that incredibly baby smell even though she was almost a year old.  
"She's gotten so big." Jackie breathed, moving to take her, she hesitated. "May I?"  
If Brooke was surprised at the change in Jackie from petulant girl to polite adult she didn't show it easily handing Betsy off to the petite girl.  
"Hey baby girl." She cooed at the little princess stroking her curls.  
"She said her first word the other day." Brooke told her, more than a little pride in her voice.  
"What was it?"  
Betsy was yawning, her hand curled up under her chin. Jackie was so captivated by her she didn't notice Brooke rolling her eyes as she started to relay the story.  
"Michael had just gotten home and of course he wasn't watching where he was going and tripped over the couch, Betsy was in her bouncer and saw him she started to giggle and said 'burn'. He was so excited her kept trying to hurt himself to see if she'd say it again."  
Jackie broke away from Betsy's hypnotic gaze and turned back to Brooke, a real smile on her face.  
"That sounds like him."  
Brooke shifted closer, wondering how to broach the subject with the girl she barely knew.  
"Are you okay?  
Jackie shrugged exhaling slowly. Betsy was dozing off but Jackie didn't want to give up her warmth yet, snuggling her into her chest closer.  
"No, but I will be."  
"You know that if you ever need anything, you can talk to me. I know we're not really friends but Michael's told me so much about you lately and I just feel like I know you. I never got to thank you for all those outfits you sent Betsy. She sleeps with the unicorn blanket every night, it's her favourite."  
Betsy shifted, her head resting over Jackie's heart. Brooke smiled at the sight; she looked so sweet with a baby and not at all like the acid tongued cheerleader she'd heard about from Donna.  
"Thank you Brooke. And thanks for bringing Betsy, I really missed the little princess."  
"It was Michael's idea, he wanted to do something to make you smile." Brooke told her reaching across to run her finger across Betsy's cheek.  
"Tell him thank you." Jackie handed Betsy back off to Brooke. "You going to be around for a couple of days?"  
Brooke nodded holding her daughter close to her.  
"Yeah catching up with friends. Maybe we can get together and go shopping, Betsy needs a new dress and I think she wants her Aunty Jackie to pick it out."  
"Kelso taught you to use the baby to get your way didn't he?"  
"It works doesn't it?"  
Brooke smiled one last time before closing the door behind her. Jackie closed her eyes feeling the tears spring to her eyes. Lying on her side she curled up tightly hugging her pillow to her chest.

***

He hadn't gone home, for some reason the thought of curling up on the old army regulation cot in the musty room made him ache. He'd snuck into the house at six that morning to shower before heading over to Grooves, he'd sooner eat his own foot than let Leo and Randy do the ordering again. Surprisingly the place was done up well with signs announcing Leo as an Allman Brother covering the store and the street block hopefully the store would be full of customers all day.  
"Hyde man, one of the Allman brothers is signing records!"  
Leo had been asleep on the couch when he'd walked in that morning, one of these days Leo would remember where the keys to his house were.  
"Yeah, see that chair over there? We need you to sit there and when people ask you to, scribble on their records."  
Why bother going into details when chances were he wouldn't remember anyway? Leo seemed content to flop on the chair apparently fascinated by the fumes from the permanent marker, lucky he already had a beard otherwise he'd look pretty freaky with black ink on his face.  
"Morning dumbass."  
Hyde could count on one hand the number of times Red had been in this store, in fact he didn't need the whole hand just one finger, you can decide which one. Red never bothered with pleasantries or any of that crap, it was one of the things he and Hyde had in common.  
"What's up Red?"  
"Kitty called Mina yesterday, after what happened I thought Jackie might need to talk to her, she's coming to the house this afternoon at four. You'll be there if I have to tie you to the car and drive you there myself."  
Red was looking at him with disappointment, it made him feel like scum.  
"I'll be there, after yesterday I just needed some time to think about everything."  
"The last few months weren't time enough?"  
Good ole Red, always had to have the last word, the door slammed shut behind him leaving Hyde with a sense of foreboding.  
"Hey Hyde, Mr Kitty looked angry, you shouldn't make that guy angry he yells like loud girl. I miss loud girl."  
Hyde managed a weak smile at Leo who was cheerfully ignorant. Readjusting his glasses he turned away from his friend, the pitiful smile vanishing, he missed the loud girl too.  
"Hey sorry I'm late, my hair just wouldn't sit right this morning."  
Randy touched his coif gently as he said this leaving Hyde to wonder for the umpteenth time what had possessed him to hire the guy.  
"Whatever. I'm going for lunch, lock up for me tonight."  
Oh right, **that's** why he'd hired him.  
"It's not even nine thirty yet!"  
But Randy's protest was lost on Hyde who was already half way out the door, there was something he needed to do.

***

Okay, he could do this. So he hadn't actually spent that much time with her since he'd been back and somehow he doubted that she would count dropping off Crazy Caroline in Fez's bed as a date even if fun times were had. Truthfully he'd been avoiding this conversation since he'd returned, it was no secret he held Donna up on a pedestal; sure she had her flaws and he'd rather eat food prepared by Fez than her but he'd never thought that she would fall so low; he was disappointed in her. Now this was a dangerous place for him to be, generally he was the screw up and she was disappointed with him, so he was at a loss. He didn't exactly want to get into a fight, he didn't want to break up but the thought of an honest to god adult conversation scared the living daylights out of him. He couldn't go to Hyde or Red for advice for fear of being laughed out of the room over the prospect of talking about his feelings. He couldn't ask Fez or Kelso because not even he was that stupid, that left his mother and Jackie. But how was he supposed to talk to his mother who would spend most of the conversation referring to Donna as that harlot who stole her baby's innocence? That's the short version, there was now a whole sub heading regarding her treatment of her supposed best friend. So here he was loitering outside of Jackie's room where Red's gun was still propped against his rocking chair. It was a sad day when the only person you can go to for advice is the devil, he felt like he was selling his soul.  
"You ever going to come in?"  
He probably would have been more covert if Jackie's door had been shut. The blinds were still closed and she hadn't gotten out of bed, still curled up under the covers, she looked so small there.  
"Hey Jackie."  
He sounded nervous; oh joy. Jackie tensed up, was it too late to tell him to go away?  
"Remember yesterday how you needed to talk to me? Well I kind of need advice and there's no one else…"  
He sounded genuinely put out by the fact, Jackie wanted to throw one of her shoes at his head but she didn't, instead she sat up patted the bed beside her and waited. He pulled the covers back hesitantly, what he expected to find there Jackie had no idea.  
"I don't bite dumbass."  
The last word rolled off her tongue quickly and she cringed, she really had been spending too much time around Red, next she'd be ranting about communists.  
"You really need to stop hanging out with Red." Eric told her as he pulled the blankets up to his chin.  
"If the next words out of your mouth are 'and hang out with Donna, Fez and Kelso again' you should just start running now before I-"  
"Put your foot up my ass?" Eric cut her off smirking.  
"Do you think it's wise to insult me when you want my help?" Jackie asked "Especially considering your Dad would much rather boot you out of the house than me?"  
Eric glared at the petite girl smiling innocently when he knew she was anything but, the devil was in the perfect disguise, at least until her mouth opened.  
"Sorry." He mumbled this but Jackie understood perfectly, it had been too long since she got to tease Eric, it felt good.  
"So what's your problem? You know besides the obvious?" She asked this while waving her hand at him and Eric literally bit on his tongue to keep from snapping back at her. Despite all her faults she really was a good friend, he always hated that about her.  
"I've been avoiding Donna since I've been back. We wrote letters all the time but she never told me what was going on here, what was **really** going on. I had to hear about all of this from **Laurie**!"  
Eric's hands were waving around causing Jackie to shrink back down in the bed, unlike Kelso she didn't want to have over a dozen concussions before she was twenty.  
"When Laurie, who carries her own street corner with her, tells you that even she finds Sam to be skanky and thinks that 'that dirty poor orphan freak Hyde' can do better something is seriously wrong, like enterprise wrong!"  
Jackie watched Eric carefully, out of everyone in her life she never would have thought Laurie would end up being her saviour, guess that made them even now.  
"And I know she's sorry but I just don't understand. The Donna I fell in love with would never stand for this. She would have ran Sam out of town for degrading women, she would have slapped Hyde over the head for what he was doing and she would have never let you down like that."  
All their lives were so entwined; no matter how far apart they drifted it would always come back to their mismatched group. Eric was still babbling on while she zoned out, she felt bad considering he'd let her unload on him yesterday but it didn't really matter she already knew how to handle his problem, if only her own were so simple.  
"Eric, it's easy; do you love Donna? Do you want to be with her?"  
He didn't even take time to consider it; the answer would never change for him.  
"Yes."  
"Then tell her that, you've been back a while and she probably has no idea where you guys stand. It sounds to me like you have to tell her that you're disappointed in her but that you still love her."  
"There's really no way out of this that doesn't involve talking about my feelings? I can't, I don't know have it engraved on a bracelet?"  
"Not even Donna's gigantic hands would be big enough for a bracelet that says 'While I was in Africa you lost your personality, abandoned your best friend, hung out with a stripper and compromised your beliefs. I'm disappointed in you and think you need to grow up but I still love you.' This is one of those times when jewellery isn't the answer." Jackie told him rubbing his shoulder, why the hell had he come to her for love advice? It was like going to Fez for advice on vegetables.  
"Do you really think it's that easy? We just need to talk?"  
He sounded unsure, it was the devil's advice, maybe he was walking into a trap and this way would end up with him in severe pain.  
"Eric, I have seen every romance film ever made and watched too many relationships fail, the difference between the two was communication. Maybe if Steven had actually talked to me instead of saying 'I don't know' we wouldn't be in this mess." Jackie said sadly playing with her hands. Eric felt a twinge, it wasn't pity but compassion, dear God he was starting to sympathize with the devil.  
"I know I gave you and Hyde a lot of crap but for what its worth, I really thought you guys were good together and if you feel even a tenth of what I think you did maybe you should take your own advice and talk to him."  
She smiled wryly resting her head against his shoulders not even complaining about its boniness.  
"I really wish it was that easy for us." Jackie yawned and closed her eyes while Eric slipped his arm around her slim shoulders. Maybe the devil wasn't so bad.

***

**Hey guys, have faith this is not a JackieEric story, they will become closer because I find their antagonistic relationship fun to write. I am a die hard Zennie and this will be a Zennie fic. Next chapter will show a counselling session with Mina and I promise you things will be explosive! As always your reviews are my bread and butter. **


	25. Spinning Out

**DISCLAIMER: Ownage negatory**

_**Ch25…Spinning Out…**_

***

She had awoken first wondering when exactly her fluffy pillow had become flat and bony.  
"Eric?"  
She poked at his side stifling a laugh as he snorted and mumbled under his breath, it definitely sounded like he said 'No more peace pipe, I don't want to do the hustle.' Maybe she should be hitting him up for some stories on what exactly had happened in Africa.  
"Wake up beanstalk!"  
Using the pillow that was discarded on the floor she whacked him over the head pushing him out of the bed in the process.  
"Jackie? Why are you in my room?"  
"This is my room genius!" She gestured at the walls, which were devoid of Farrah Fawcett posters and GI Joes. "We must have fallen asleep." She yawned as she said this acknowledging just how little sleep she had gotten lately. It was a little after noon, it was weird they hadn't been caught by Kitty when she came upstairs to get her for lunch.  
"How could we fall asleep, you never sleep in the devils lair! It's the first rule in comic books!"  
Jackie fought against rolling her eyes at Eric who was self-consciously rubbing at his hair.  
"Oh look who's awake from their nap!"  
Kitty stook in the door clapping her hands excitedly, Jackie felt her cheeks warm and shook her head.  
"It was some kind of trick mum and it never happened! Donna will kick my ass if she finds out about this!"  
His voice was all twitchy raising an octave or two higher than he should be able to as a male.  
"I'd be scared too, that lumberjack could break you in half!" Jackie huffed as she got out of bed and crossed over to her closet.  
"Oh I'm sure that's not true. It was perfectly innocent and if she doesn't believe that she can look at this Polaroid!"  
With surprising speed both Jackie and Eric dove at the small square dangling between the fingers of Mrs. Forman. Jackie, being closer grabbed it first pulling it towards her and staring at the picture. No one should ever be allowed to see this; her skin was pale and the nightgown she wore dwarfed her; her hair looked greasy. The photo fell from her hands and into Eric's waiting ones.  
"I'll be downstairs burning this."  
Did she really look that pale and sick?  
"Lunch is ready downstairs honey."  
"Thanks Mrs. Forman."  
She couldn't let herself fade away like that, she'd promised herself that…hadn't she? It seemed a shame that the sun was shining when she felt like this. Without much thought she found herself in the shower relaxing under the needles of water and the comforting routine of lather, rinse, repeat. She was dressed in her favourite red summer dress and drying her hair in the same detached matter, it wasn't until she had finished the last swirl of rouge across her cheeks and had come down the stairs and into the kitchen that her veneer cracked.  
"Donna."

***

It had seemed like a good idea at the time. Her conversations over the last few days had whirled through her mind and when the buzz had cleared this was what had been the sole thought of her mind. The door had been unlocked; she had taken it as a sign, like it was time. Eric had come running into the kitchen muttering about fire, not noticing her until the flame was melting the edges of a photo.  
"Hey Eric."  
His eyes had that deer caught in the headlights look to them; he was frozen to the spot not moving until the flame spread to his arm.  
"Ow, ow, ow, ow!"  
The water was barely soothing and the smell of singed arm hair was more than a little nauseating.  
"Donna you really shouldn't be here."  
His arm was blistering and he was in pain and the first words he said were that?  
"I need to talk to Jackie! She **has** to listen to me."  
She was desperate, she needed her best friend back.  
"Donna."  
The redhead spun around and her eyes finally locked on the petite brunette.  
"Jackie! I'm so sor-"  
The words couldn't come out of her mouth, they choked up in her throat. Jackie's eyes were full of hatred and they were aimed at her, her whole body was shaking and tears spilled from her eyes.  
"Don't, just- just don't. You're not here because you're sorry okay? You're here to make yourself feel better. Do you really think that just by showing up here with your pathetic little apology everything is going to go back to the way it was? It's not, it's never going back to the way it was Donna."  
The red head was backed up against the door as Jackie advanced on her.  
"The way it was sucked. At least now I know that, after everything that's happened I can't be sorry for it because now I know who my real friends are."  
Shoving Donna out of the way Jackie yanked the door open.  
"And just in case you were wondering, you're not one of them."  
Donna let out a sob and in spite of herself Jackie felt a pang of remorse but it was overcome by something more potent; hurt, anger, betrayal.  
"You never were."  
With that she was gone leaving Eric with a hysterical Donna. Stroking her hair he looked between the open door and the girl in his arms.  
"This may not be the best time but we need to talk."

***

Silence was over rated but then again so were a lot of things, if you asked him presents, holidays and God were at the top of his list. It's funny because he used to crave silence, yearn for a place that wasn't filled with the never-ending noise of broken bottles, screaming adults and slamming doors. He hadn't craved that silence in years, now he was happy with the hum of the TV in the basement perpetually tuned to re-runs, of the basement door opening and closing at all hours of the night and the clunking noise the Vista Cruiser made as it pulled into the driveway. His favourite sound though was something he thought was seriously underrated, something he hadn't heard in far too long, the unmistakable clunk of clogs against the concrete stairs and the savouring of his name on the lips of his girl. She had this way of saying his name; the way it fell from her lips drove him crazy. The V in his name made her drag her teeth over her bottom lip before disappearing back into her mouth… he missed that. He used to think it worked better when they didn't talk, if you don't talk you couldn't argue it had seemed like good logic at the time. And it had worked! At least until her dad went to prison but even then the words were hard to find so he had found other ways to show her, as candy ass as it sounded, what his mouth just couldn't say. Her mismatched eyes had glittered when he'd walked in without the beard; she'd understood what he had been trying to say. Things had never been silent between them, so when all the other noise tapered off and there was nothing left, it was deafening.  
"It's hard."  
He could hear her response in his mind; see the roll of her eyes, the flip of her hair.  
"Of course its hard, its meant to be hard."  
But why is it so hard? Is it always this constant uphill battle?  
"It has to be earned."  
And once you've earned it, you have to know its worth, fight to keep it.  
"It's worth it."  
"What's worth it?"  
His mind had gotten very adept at creating her voice, her vision, but never before had it been so perfect, the sun pouring around her head. But his vision never had tear stained rivulets across her cheeks.  
"Jackie?"  
The vision, so life-like took a seat next to him on the swings using her cheerleader legs to push her into the air.  
"Shouldn't you be at work?"  
As long as she was here in his mind, he would play along.  
"Well I have an ins with the boss."  
His smirk was contagious and pulled at the edges of her mouth.  
"Mr. Big Stuff."  
"Don't you forget it."  
Her feet touched the ground and dragged her to a stop giving Hyde time to seize the chains tangling them with his own so they faced each other, spinning. They weren't talking, but they weren't silent. Jackie reached up and took off his ever-present glasses revealing his blue eyes; she'd always loved his eyes.  
"No one knows what its like to the bad man, to be the sad man, behind blue eyes."  
She said it so softly, whisper quiet. He knew the song well; she always told him it reminded her of him.  
"No one knows what its like to feel these feelings like I do, and I blame you."  
His tone was more playful than hers had been; those lyrics had been in her book, stained with watermarks, tears.  
"I blame you too."  
Now she had gone off script, taking them into new territory, not comfortable but not foreboding.  
"How do I fix this?"  
The brittle laugh was not the one he remembered, the one he longed to hear again.  
"Everything's made to be broken…you taught me that."  
Uphill battle, fight, it was worth it. Her ankle brushed against his, their knees bumping together.  
"Well recent evidence proves I'm a dumbass so you should probably forget what I taught you."  
Her fingers traced the many scratches to the lenses of his glasses, fingering the earpieces.  
"I lied."  
Her fingers jerked and he couldn't fight the wince as the tiny digits wrapped around his glasses, he swallowed the sigh that came as her hands relaxed, his glasses unbroken.  
"You asked me something once and I lied."  
One finger under her chin he raised her head till she met his eyes, his full of emotion and hers swimming with anguish. Swiftly, faster than a blink he placed a chaste kiss on her lips.  
"I felt something."  
They were spinning, the chains untangling and the sky blurring into the ground. Breathing hard he turned to his pixie of a girl who was staring back at him. Her small hand uncoiled itself from the chain and snaked its way into his bigger one lacing their fingers together tightly.  
"I lied too."  
He squeezed her fingers gently, his thumb caressing the back of her hand, her own thumb creating the same patterns on his. Some idiot once said 'I don't know', they were wrong three words.

***

**Hi guys, so this is a little shorter than usual. I blame this on the several essays I am writing as well as my recent acquisition of Heroes Season 3 which despite what everyone says is actually quite good. I am forever faithful to the adventures of Hiro and Ando. And the plus side of having Seth Green and Breckin Meyer really makes me happy. **

**So what did you think? Yeah she really let Donna have it, but hey I gave you guys a totally sweet JH moment!!! Please, please, please let me know what you thought!**

***


	26. Finally Understood

**DISCLAIMER: Do I sleep with the Devil and Saddam Hussein??? NO so therefore I do not own this.**

_Ch26…Finally Understood_

***

Life goes on. It's that kind of supreme irony that Hyde loves, that nobody gets out of life alive, but for right now it didn't really matter. It had been an interesting few days, Eric had regressed to not showering or wearing pants much to both Red and Jackie's disgust, although the pathetic fuzz on his cheeks did make them both laugh. Brooke and Betsy had become regular fixtures at the Forman house, each visit widening Jackie's smile.  
"Come on please!"  
"After everything I've told you these last few days how can you even be asking me this?"  
"Jackie I have to live with the doofus, please just talk to him once so I don't have to listen to two babies crying on the drive back to Chicago!" Brooke pleaded with her, much to her surprise she found she really liked Jackie, it didn't hurt that she was a closet Nancy Drew fan either.  
"Every time I hear his voice I just want to slap his stupid face!" Jackie moaned head in hands.  
"Not the money maker!" Brooke cried feigning horror. Jackie giggled at her antics; she was going to miss Brooke now that she was leaving.  
"Can't you stay a few more days?" Jackie held Betsy up, pulling her lip down. "P-P-P-P-Pwease!"  
"Jackie! Don't use my own daughter against me, that's evil!"  
"I've been saying that for years! I took the Devil's advice and now Donna wont talk to me!" Eric contributed from the couch slurping loudly from his beer. Brooke raised an eyebrow at Jackie who twisted her head towards his beer.  
"Oh I'm sorry Eric but I thought at the very least you'd know the right time to talk to her, which isn't while she was already crying!" Jackie snapped at him. "And stop calling me the devil, string bean!"  
"You're right, it's insulting to Lucifer and his satanic followers to associate them with you!"  
Jackie scowled poking her tongue out at Eric who sneered back at her.  
"As much as I hate to interrupt this, my mum is expecting us by six." Brooke looked apologetically at Jackie who hugged Betsy closer to her chest.  
"Call me tomorrow?" Jackie wouldn't give up the little girl until she had Brooke's promise.  
"Of course."  
The two hugged tightly, Betsy squished between them.  
"Auntie Jackie's going to miss her princess! Remember no white after Labour Day and only lumberjacks wear plaid!"  
Betsy nodded solemnly her fist clasping one of Jackie's curls. Brooke laughed pulling her daughter to her.  
"Just think about what I said."  
Jackie sighed as she pulled the door open for the mother and child, the car idling in the driveway with Kelso behind the wheel, nose pressed up against the window.  
"Bye guys." She took a deep breath and looked at the hopeful loser in the car. "Bye Kelso."  
She was back inside before he could reply although Brooke would later tell her that he kept that stupid grin on his face the entire ride back.

***

How was it that sales were actually up? This was the question he pondered on his drive home, with the moron twins as his primary workers he just couldn't fathom how their profit margin had increased. But hey if it kept WB happy he probably shouldn't dwell on it.  
"Ah I see we're still in the pants optional portion of the moping."  
"Yeah laugh it up my girlfriend still won't talk to me, what would you do?" Eric jumped up quickly looking around the room. "Where are my keys? I've got to get to Vegas and marry a whore!"  
Hyde scowled and glanced over at Jackie who looked oblivious painting her nails while perched on the floor leaning back against Red's chair, she hadn't even looked up the ruby red polish proving far more interesting.  
"We weren't married."  
Jackie snorted but still refused to look up.  
"Yeah, **that's** the part to focus on!" Capping the polish she swung her legs around so she could face Eric. "I want you to think back three years, it was summer and you were even spindlier than you are now and you still had that same hatred of pants; what did you do?"  
"Ate a lot of candy and watched _Gilligan's Island_ with Fez?"  
Jackie shook her hands exasperated not noticing Hyde's own look of annoyance.  
"No! Donna took off and you went after her, you know once you stopped hanging around here being all pathetic and annoying the crap out of the rest of us."  
Eric leant forward hands clasped in front of him, nodding.  
"Okay so last time your advice was to talk to her and now to rectify that you give me the same advice?"  
Jackie bobbed her head, not understanding what was so hard for him to comprehend.  
"It can't be any less pathetic than sitting around here without pants willing puberty to hit so you can actually grow a beard." Jackie looked over her shoulder at the kitchen. "So what's for dinner tonight?"  
Eric was aghast, his mouth opened and closed a few times but no sound came out. Hyde leant back into the couch as Eric stood up and bolted up the stairs mouth still agape.  
"You know one of these days you're going to have to take that advice yourself." Hyde told her his elbow resting on his knees.  
"Only if I actually want to talk to the people again and in her case, I really don't."  
Hyde said nothing knowing all too well what Jackie was feeling; besides he was the last person who should be giving her advice about forgiveness.  
"Well with Brooke gone you're going to need someone else to take you shopping and try on shoes with so will you at least give Fez a call? He came into Grooves today clutching an ABBA record and blubbering about conditioner I got back from lunch and there was this mob of people surrounding him, we had to tell them that he was Leo's nephew and he'd been dropped on the head too many times as a baby so they wouldn't call the cops!" He'd tried not to laugh as he was telling the story, stoning himself with Zen the whole time but when the first stray giggle fell from Jackie's lips his own mouth pulled into a smile.  
"I'll call him tomorrow, I wanted to go into the salon anyway."  
Hyde smiled sliding onto the floor next to the petite brunette his burly hand clasping her petite one, fingers curling together.  
"Thanks."  
She looked at their clasped hands not sure whether or not she should enjoy the warmth as much as she did.  
"It's fine, I miss the little perve anyway. Do you realise its been weeks since I've had someone 'accidentally' walk in on me in the shower?"  
She looked so cute when she used air quotations, he had to remember to kick Fez's ass for that later though.  
"Well if you miss it so much all you had to do was ask." He smiled slyly.  
"Jerk." She scolded him half-heartedly nudging his shoulder with hers.  
"You hungry?" He asked, she'd been putting on weight and was beginning to look like her old self, food wasn't such a touchy subject with her anymore; she nodded her stomach grumbling in protest. "Get your stuff we're going to the hub."  
"Why Steven you've swept me off my feet." She remarked dryly pulling her clogs on carefully trying not to smudge the polish. Hyde arched an eyebrow recognising an opportunity when he saw one, swiftly he hauled Jackie over his shoulder carrying her through the kitchen and towards the El Camino.  
"Steven J. Hyde what the hell do you think you're doing? Put me down!" Her tiny fists slammed into his back. "Put me down you pig!"  
Reaching the passenger side of his beloved car he pulled the door open placing her in the seat.  
"Yes dear."  
She was shaking her head, not in anger but in amusement, he took that as a good sign.

***

He'd just had to use the kitchen door; he was kicking himself for that now. He was debating whether he could just walk past and straight into the house without Kitty finding out and smothering him in his sleep later, that woman knew everything, the CIA could learn a few things from Kitty Forman.  
"Oh hey Mr. Forman."  
Well she'd always been polite, he had to give her that even if she had kept her head up her ass these last few months.  
"I thought I got rid of you kids, and that little dog too."  
A few more steps and he would be within reach of the door and sweet salvation.  
"Well I wanted to- I thought I should- this was stupid, I should just leave." Donna mumbled pulling herself from the lawn chair and brushing past Red. Cursing to himself he glared upward, oh yeah they were definitely having a chat when he got up there.  
"Wait, what is it?"  
He took the vacated chair; he always did have a soft spot for a girl in tears. Donna stared at him hesitantly, not sure whether or not he was serious.  
"Park your ass in the chair before I park it for you."  
Okay so he was serious.  
"When did it all get so complicated?" She genuinely wanted to know, Red stared at the girl. He was positive Eric's had whined at breakfast not one week ago that he'd had this conversation with Donna, pretty sure he'd heard something from Kitty about the foreigner telling her too. She was worse than a commie, no wonder she dated Eric, she was slow on the uptake too, now he had a little less hard of a time believing she was the offspring of Bob and Midge.  
"You know I don't believe in all that new age hippy crap but I swear I had this conversation before and I don't like repeating myself."  
"Except if it's about a foot in the ass." Donna quipped without thinking, her brain to mouth filter was seriously clogged. She winced under Red's heavy glare, his hand rubbing his head tiredly.  
"Where did we go wrong with you kids? Laurie's off god knows where with god knows who, Eric refuses to wear pants and Steven spent the better part of the year with his head up his ass but at least he had your company there!"  
"Eric's not wearing pants?"  
"Focus you're meant to be the smart one!" Red snapped at her, his last nerve wasn't being worn down it had been retired weeks ago. "I'm not going to tell you anything you don't already know Donna, you screwed up and Jackie needs time. I'm not going to coddle you and tell you it'll all be all right because it wont be. That girl's been through hell and back this year! Where were you? Hanging out with a stripper, not going to school, spending every godforsaken minute in my basement instead of with your best friend!"  
The tears were back but this time they didn't make him go 'aw hell' and back off, he'd bitten his tongue earlier and he blamed himself a little for all that's happened.  
"You have to take a good hard look at yourself, you've got a good head on your shoulders Donna and so does Jackie. I know you want to talk to her but you've got to accept that maybe this isn't something you'll recover from."  
The red head choked back a sob, her hands shakily covering her mouth. Eric, Fez, Hyde even Sam had all said this to her, hell Jackie screamed it at her. She'd screwed up; she already knew that part but she never, not for one second thought they wouldn't get past this. Without saying goodbye Donna fled from the driveway to her own home.  
"Red what are you doing out here?" Kitty asked pulling the screen door open, he managed a grim smile for his wife placing a kiss on her head.  
"Something I should have done a long time ago." Red replied walking into the house he turned to the door his fingers hesitating over the lock. He dropped his hand and followed his wife into the lounge room, the lock remaining untouched.

***

**Hey guys! I'm not feeling the love! I slave over this chapter for you! Agonize over what to write, I reward you with some JH action and I have no love! Well that's my best guilt tripping, my parents weren't big on it so it's probably not a stellar effort. Please, please, please let me know what you think, it really is my bread and butter! Also just so you all know…**

**I'M A GLEEK! **

**And damn proud of it! All Aussie's please watch GLEE on channel 10 and do not let another brilliant show get sold off to payTV!**


	27. Thrown Out

**DISLAIMER: I own nothing… Thanks for the love guys definitely made my day =D  
Special Love for Doug, Marla and Angel2Goddess, hope you enjoy this chapter cause it's especially for you.**

_Ch27… Thrown Out…_

***

Strawberries. Everywhere he went he could smell strawberries, it made him crave the scent, the way it lingered in the air. He wanted to kick the crap out of Fez for giving Jackie the stupid shampoo that now permeated in his brain but he couldn't because he kind of liked the smell.  
"Why can't I try them on with you princess? They accentuate my shapely calves!"  
Fez's voice invaded the Forman house if Red were home there would be pain to follow.  
"They were women's shoes Fez! Just because you have freakishly small feet doesn't mean you should shove them into the purple stilettos I was looking at!"  
Even without seeing her face he knew she was biting back a smile, she sounded lighter than she had been in weeks, even Mina had commented how amazed she was at the difference to the frail girl she had meet in the hospital.  
"You didn't mind when I did it at home!"  
"Well yeah that was so you could stretch them out for me so I wouldn't get blisters! Everybody in town already knows me as the daughter of a convict and a whore whose boyfriend left her for a stripper, I don't need to add friends with a cross dresser to that list!"  
Fez glared at Jackie as they pushed through into the lounge room, his arms full of bags.  
"Tell her Hyde she just wont listen to me!"  
Both looked at him expectantly where he was sprawled across the couch, Jackie tapping her foot incessantly, Fez pouting. He let out a small puff of laughter at the two.  
"What happened?" He asked pretending he hadn't been listening in on their argument.  
"Fezzie got us kicked out of the store! He threatened this woman with one of the shoes because apparently he saw them first!" Jackie explained pushing his legs off the couch so she could take a seat. Fez's face contorted in anger.  
"I did! They would go perfectly with the silk shirt I bought yesterday!"  
"They were women's shoes!" Jackie yelled exasperated, he'd never understand.  
"So? The guys put me in dresses all the time! Why not shoes?" Fez countered, feeling smug. Hyde raised his eyebrows while Jackie just rolled her eyes.  
"Yeah we do that as a joke man, you're not meant to like it!" Hyde cracked his fingers while Fez turned his glare on him giving Jackie a break.  
"Well I can see that I'm not going to convince either of you narrow minded sons of bitches the error of your thoughts!" Gathering his bags he jutted out his chin indignantly. "Now I must say good day."  
"But Fez!" Jackie protested with a wide smile.  
"I said good day!"  
The front door slammed behind Fez as he flounced out.  
"He really tried on high heels with you?" Jackie nodded shuddering. "Sometimes I really wonder about that boy. Do you think its time we evict him from the circle?"  
Jackie let out a hum of interest, her head tilted as she pondered this.  
"I don't know, foreigners are sneaky he might rat you out to Red if you cut him off."  
The two shared a small laugh oblivious to the front door opening again until the foreigner in question flung himself between the two former lovers, throwing his arms around their necks.  
"Oh my goddess I've missed arguing with you!"  
She fought the urge to bury her nails into his fleshy arm as his chokehold took effect knowing exactly how he had achieved the vice like grip.  
"Fez! Missing air!" She wheezed out catching Hyde's eye.  
"Ai! What was that for?"  
Hyde shrugged pushing his glasses back up his nose, his gaze zeroing in on the arm he had just punched.  
"Felt like it."  
Still rubbing his arm Fez's expression darkened, it was times like these he really missed Kelso.  
"You're always so violent when you are getting no love!"  
Fez flinched at the sound of Hyde's knuckles cracking as they formed a fist.  
"What's that? The Ice Cream Man is here?"  
He was gone in less than half a second, the door vibrating from being closed in such haste.  
"Steven!" She tried to sound annoyed but was failing miserably, giggle's escaping from her lips; strawberry scented like her hair. Clicking her tongue she stood up bending over to retrieve her bags, Hyde groaned inwardly; she had just given him the perfect view of her ass being hugged intimately by her jeans. Shifting in his seat he watched her struggle with the load of bags.  
"You know a gentleman would offer to help!"  
"I'll let you know when I see one." Hyde replied with a smirk loving the little face Jackie made in response. Her clogs made soft padded noises against the stairs but the slam of her door behind her made a loud bang. Reclining he placed his arms behind his head, that was the Jackie he knew.

***

He had always respected the sanctity of a closed door, something most men failed at in their lifetime. But even he had his limits; hence the bruised knuckles and the rapidly worn looking paint on the door.  
"Pumpkin? Can't Daddy help?"  
"No!"  
He hated to hear his little girl sound so lost, he had even debated calling Midgie but had decided against it; the last time she had been involved Donna had gone on one of her crazy feminist rants for two weeks and he wasn't allowed to watch _Charlie's Angels_ in peace.  
"Bobby, maybe I should have a talk with her? You know woman to woman?"  
His eyebrows rose up so high they were hidden beneath the fro, he wasn't an idiot he knew there was no love lost between his daughter and his girlfriend.  
"Are you sure that will help?"  
Pam raised her eyebrows and flipped her hair.  
"Believe me if anyone can get through to her it'll be me. Besides I don't see anyone else beating down the door to help."  
He frowned at the truth in the statement, Donna had rarely left the house and not one of her friends had been there, not even Fez had been found in her closet although he wasn't exactly upset about that one.  
"Okay just try to be nice?"  
The smile that graced her lips was one of practiced innocence, usually reserved for getting out of speeding tickets or free drinks.  
"Of course baby!"  
She squeezed his chin and pecked him on the lips, her nails clacking as they grasped the doorknob.  
"You girls play nice!"  
The door made a soft click behind her, wow her room had that odour to it; wallowing in pity now available at good department stores. Donna was the misshapen lump under the blankets; at least she hoped that was Donna.  
"Your Dad's worried about you, you know."  
The lump snorted and burrowed into the blankets deeper.  
"Could you at least attempt to not be so pathetic, weren't you one of those hairy women in high school who was all about girl power? And look at you now, a useless lump and for what?"  
Bloodshot eyes looked out at her from the blankets, surrounded by a pale blotchy face.  
"I lost my best friend, my boyfriend and my dad is dating you. This is a nightmare I can't wake up from."  
"And whose fault was that? **Everybody** knows what happened this year, even I was shocked about what you did." Pam emphasized staring at her nails critically.  
"Wow this pep talk is really making me want to get out of this bed and kick your ass." Donna snarked hugging her pillow to her chest.  
"It's not the end of the world Donna, I mean if I was red head in love with a loser like Eric Forman I'd probably never want to leave my room either."  
Donna could feel the small growl in the back of her throat; she could probably snap the girl in half if she wanted to.  
"Really not helping Pam."  
The smile this time was anything but innocent, it had a calculated sweetness to it.  
"Well like I told Bobby, I don't see anyone else in a rush to help you." She flicked her hand around the empty room; Donna could physically feel her self-loathing intensify.  
"You want to help me?" She was beyond sceptical, even the most gullible of people would be sceptical.  
"Not particularly but your patheticness is making Bobby sad."  
She chewed on her lip staring at the blonde who looked so out of place leaning against her cluttered desk.  
"You really want my dad to be happy?"  
Pam shrugged pushing her shoulders back trying to act nonchalant.  
"Yeah so what if I do."  
Donna felt a pang, an urge that was a sure sign of the apocalypse; she wanted to hug Pam Macy. Pushing the blankets off the bed she swung her legs around and clapped her hands.  
"So how are we going to fix this?"  
Pam arched one eyebrow and smirked, Donna had a not so good feeling about this but really what other options were there?

***

Stupid laws, really how was she expected to help her babies if they didn't tell her everything? Mina wasn't even a real psychiatrist anyway; did that whole doctor-patient confidentiality even apply?  
"Well can you at least let me know if she has feelings for Steven again?"  
Mina gave Kitty what could only be described as a look, the other nurses were making a show of pretending not to pay attention to the two but were really eavesdropping, and this was better than the soap operas.  
"Kitty I can't betray Jackie's trust, she needs to feel that she is able to confide in me, Steven too all I will say is that I am pleased with their progress."  
"Well that could mean anything!" Kitty snapped glumly. "Okay you don't have to say anything just blink if you think there could be a wedding in the future."  
"Nurse Forman!"  
Kitty cursed under her breath before turning to face Dr. Evans who was frowning into his paperwork.  
"We just got back some blood work from the labs, tell Jackie to come in as soon as possible."  
Just like Red and all the books had described it she felt her arm go tingly and what felt like a band around her heart.  
"Is something wrong Doctor?"  
She was ready to throw herself on the man as he continued flipping through the papers and not paying attention to her.  
"Hmm? Oh no nothing to concern yourself with."  
Mina's eyes closed involuntarily a heavy sigh puffing out of her lips; he **really** shouldn't have said that.  
"When it concerns the carrier of my future grandbabies you can be assured it most definitely concerns me!"  
The small woman had the doctor backed up against the wall, her finger poking into his chest with such pressure a bruise would sure to bloom.  
"It's really nothing, some of her blood cultures came back low in iron and we need to start her on supplements."  
The normally confident doctor actually tripped over his words and feet in his haste to get away from the visibly shaking Kitty.  
"Well was that so hard!" She called after him with a huff. "Now Mina honey did you want to stay for dinner after Steven and Jackie's session?"  
"Kitty I really shouldn't-"  
"Perfect! It'll be lovely, ooh we can have fondue! Or as we like to call it fundue!" Kitty laughed clapping her hands together while Mina smiled weakly, oh this could only go wrong.

***

**Stay sweet my lovelies. This week I am embracing my love of PSYCH and the awesomness that is Guy/Shawn who are funnier together than TurkJD (big call I know…)**

**As always show me the love and review, afterall I did the hard part!**


	28. Stepping Back

**DISCLAIMER: Yeah right!**

_Ch28…Stepping Back…_

***

How could this happen, she had thought this through, planned contingencies, she'd even wrangled Red's cooperation with the promise of red meat and beer for the next week. So how exactly had her beautifully prepared dinner ended up on the walls, the floor and in her hair? It was her trademark!

_**Two hours earlier…**_

Jackie felt awkward sitting on the couch in the basement, it was still lumpy, still had the same creepy stains that she chose not to think about but it felt wrong. Even Hyde sitting in his chair looked weird, he sat too straight, too rigid, nothing in the room was right; the TV was off and the door to the basement was shut the deadbolt thrown and taunting the two.  
"So how have you guys been?"  
Mina was sitting in the chair opposite Hyde usually reserved for Kelso or Fez, tapping her pencil softly against her notepad.  
"I talked to Kelso when Brooke called before, well I said 'hello' and then listened to him apologize and compliment my ass for ten minutes, but I didn't hang up; that's an improvement right?"  
She was doing that thing where she was chewing on her lip; she did that when ever she was anxious, like whenever Mina made notes on the paper that she didn't let her see.  
"Yes it is, do you think you will actually talk to him next time?"  
"Well Brooke wants me to come up for the weekend soon so I'd have see him then." She trailed off not meeting Mina's gaze. "I guess it wouldn't be so terrible if I listened to him speak, along as the words 'doing it' don't come up, amongst other things."  
Hyde scowled, moving his arms across his chest; his hand flexing instinctively, by now the bruise should bloom out of fear on Kelso's arm.  
"He's been a part of my life for so long but then again so were my parents and look how that ended up!"  
"Jackie honey, we've talked about this. Not every relationship you have will end up like your relationship with your parents." Mina took a deep breath trying to remain professional, an internal struggle that she knew she would lose. "Your parents were alcoholic morons who thought emotions was just a Bee Gees song! Just because they hurt you doesn't mean everyone else will too."  
He didn't need to turn his head to know that Jackie's mismatched eyes were glittering with tears. She didn't need to turn her head to know that Hyde's mouth was set in a firm line, knowing that her parents weren't the only reason she thought the people she cared about would always hurt her.  
"People sometimes leave but the smart ones follow their heart and always come back."  
He could feel Mina's gaze shift to him, his face a practiced mask of blankness, this was the part he hated.  
"Do you really believe that?" Jackie asked her voice held the sweet innocence it once had and Hyde wanted to let loose an actual smile, he missed that voice, the one not jaded by the last year.  
"Yeah I do and I think you do too."  
This time both of their gazes fell to Hyde who shifted in his seat in spite of himself.  
"What if I don't want certain people to come back? What if the hurt is too much?"  
His stomach constricted and sweat beads appeared across his hairline, she wasn't talking about him he hoped.  
"Well Jackie I'm only here to listen and give advice, I can't tell you how to run your life." She paused clucking her tongue. "No matter what Kitty thinks. Life's a risk; letting people in, trusting them it all takes time. But if this person hurt you so badly then that makes me think you really cared about them. I guess you have to ask yourself is what they did really worth ending all that come before?"  
He held his breath while Jackie rubbed her lips together and played with one of her stray curls something she only ever did when concentrating really hard on something.  
"I don't know Mina, for now I really don't know."  
"And that's okay honey, you don't have to have the answers all the time but as long as you can think about it you're taking a step in the right direction."  
Her fingers clutched the small angel Mina had given her pulling it across the chain, her thumb rubbing over the small pink stone absently, Mina's gaze following its path.  
"Do you know why I gave you that?"  
"Because I like shiny things?" She replied lightly her words mirroring Hyde's thoughts, Mina chuckled her face shaking from the force of it.  
"No, when I was a young girl I was in love with a boy and he left me."  
Wow it couldn't be more awkward than this, Hyde seemed to sit up straighter than before, his spine at a direct right angle to his lap.  
"My mama gave me that necklace and she told me just what I told you, that if he was smart he would follow his heart back home to me." She leant forward and touched the cloudy pink stone. "That stone, they call it the love stone, the healing heart. My love came back to me in one piece, and I hoped it would do the same for you."  
Okay so he was wrong, it was definitely more awkward now. Wait actually with Jackie's heavy gaze on him it was definitely the most awkward right now.  
"Anyway we're not here to talk about me, has anything happened with you this week Steven?"  
He was incommunicable at the best of times, expecting him to open up after that was not exactly the smartest thing they could have done.  
"Grooves is making a profit."  
Not exactly what most would discuss in therapy but a start.  
"Did that make you feel good Steven?"  
"Honestly I was surprised considering most of the time Randy and Leo are in charge and Leo doesn't realize he's in a record store."  
Jackie's mouth twitched with a smile at the mention of the greying dirty hippie, she had a soft spot for the memory challenged man; he meant a lot to Steven.  
"Your father must be pleased."  
"The store he gave to his illegitimate slacker son to manage is actually turning a profit, yeah he's pleased, if it holds steady he's thinking of opening another store in Kenosha."  
Babbling, he was actually babbling, nonsense did this woman really care about his father's business?  
"Kitty mentioned that Eric hasn't left the house."  
Hyde snorted finally relaxing his shoulders.  
"Forman's pissed because Jackie told him to talk to Donna and now she won't speak to him. It's only been a week and he's wearing pants again, give it a few days and they'll be back to their nauseating selves." He rolled his eyes behind his glasses trying not to focus on the hand sweeping across the page noting his response, she probably analysed every twitch and the way he breathed.  
"What makes you say that?"  
Jackie stared at the makeshift coffee table avoiding the question; it was only fair she'd already had her emotional breakdown that session, while he was long overdue.  
"Well it's not exactly the first time it's happened, lets just say it's a recurring theme with them ever since the summer Donna ran off to California."  
He didn't want to elaborate, he didn't want to elaborate, he didn't want to elaborate.  
"That was the summer the two of you got together wasn't it?"  
Damn Kitty and her big mouth, damn her straight to hell.  
"Yeah." He replied curtly wishing for the first time there was a clock down here so he knew how much longer he had to endure this torture.  
"How exactly did that happen, I mean what made the two of you-"  
"Jump each other?" Jackie interrupted weakly, her teeth back to chewing on that lip. "That is a long story."  
No it wasn't, it had been clear from the time Mrs. Forman pointed two hands as one to him and shot him, it was because he was hopelessly in love with her and he had had no clue what that meant or how to deal with it.  
"Jackie, Steven bring Mina upstairs, it's time for Fundue!"  
He had considered thanking God for the interruption, if only he'd known what was about to happen.

***

Given Eric's current state of mind the decision to give him a sharp implement was not exactly the soundest of decisions, nor was allowing him within spitting distance of scalding hot pots of cheese and the like.  
"So we do what exactly?" Hyde asked twirling his prong on one hand, which Eric eyed, wearily from his seat next to him.  
"Oh its fun! You pick the meatball up and dip it in the fondue pot and them yum, yum!"  
"Kitty didn't you learn anything from the last time we tried this?"  
Kitty shushed her husband with a glare, her grip on her prong tightening.  
"Hush Red, it's fun, it's fun-due!"  
Eric snickered at his mother's poor joke but nonetheless tabbed at the meat before dipping it in the sauce. Jackie watched him obviously needing someone to prove this was safe before trying herself.  
"Hot!"  
Well that's what he yelled but since his tongue was burning it came out more like 'hmg'.  
"Itsh goog." Eric managed mumble shooting the table a thumbs up while greedily gulping down the water in front of him. The table sat in silence each carefully trying out the pots.  
"So Mina." Eric started his tongue considerably less sore after sucking on an ice cube. "I have this problem, there's this girl let's call her Schmackie. She gave me this advice and now my girlfriend wont speak to me, what do you think about this advice?"  
Eric ignored the menacing look shooting across the table from the devil, although the way she was motioning at him with the very pointy fondue fork was making him a little uncomfortable.  
"Well without knowing the details I would have to say that communication is always the best advice."  
"What do you know you're just a nurse." He dismissed with a wave of his hand only realizing what he had said all too late. "Not that nurses are dumb." He amended looking at his mother whose eyes rivalled the devils. "Did I say _just_ a nurse? Because what I meant was---"  
"Hey Eric?" Jackie interrupted popping some chicken in her mouth and chewing slowly.  
"Yes Jackie?"  
Thank god, salvation thy name is Jackie.  
"Does your mouth ever hurt from having your foot in there so much?"  
Red snorted behind his beer savouring the amber liquid, he'd need it tonight, so would Mina from the looks of it, she was definitely regretting accepting the invitation for dinner, not that it had been her choice anyway. Kitty's face had taken on that maniacal look that she had when her plans were unspooling and she needed to take control, you know her usual face, her glass of what she claimed was lemonade but smelt strongly of vodka had been topped up for the third time.  
"Mina! You've been doing such a wonderful job with the kids."  
Oh boy, here we go.  
"Thank you Kitty but really I haven't done anything but listen."  
"Nonsense! Steven is more stubborn than a mule and I told him he loved that girl but did he listen to me? Oh no, if I like Jackie shoot me was what he said! He hadn't realized he'd already been shot! By cupid!"  
Kitty's laughter actually added to the tension instead of alleviating it, Eric so glad the focus was not on him smirked at his friend's misfortune.  
"And Jackie, oh that poor girl was so scared of rejection she went back to Michael even though it was clear as day she was in love with Steven!"  
Kitty was oblivious as Hyde speared at the chicken and Jackie shrunk back into her seat, Eric the only person in the room enjoying the wreck about to happen.  
"I really don't think we should be talking about this." Mina offered up weakly shooting Jackie a sympathetic glance.  
"We all knew Steven loved Jackie and now thanks to you everything is going back to the way it should be and soon all my babies will be together again!"  
Hyde choked on the small piece of meat he was chewing on it at this, his face colouring. Jackie too look stunned and more than a little scared. Coughing hard the small chunk flew from his lips hitting Eric's hand, the prong he was holding slipped clattering against the pot, which fell splattering the hot cheese all over him.  
"Smooth Forman." Hyde snapped as his best friend and brother jumped up pulling at his shirt his elbow launching forward to hit the other pots, sauce and meat flew out coating the room and the people in it.  
"Smooth in deed dumbass."

***

**WHAT'S TO COME? **

**The aftermath of course! Kitty's big mouth leads to an awkward conversation for our favourite couple and what exactly has Pam got up her sleeve for Donna and most importantly what will Fez do when he finds out the Forman's had a food fight without him? Well, check in next Sunday and find out! **

**PS: Thanks Marla and Doug for your awesome reviews, inspiration struck for this straight from you guys. That and wanting to desperately avoid my Uni essays!**


	29. Cleaning Up

**DISCLAIMER: Yeah I own this and right now I'm swimming in my pool of cold coins like Scrooge McDuck at the start of the cartoon with Huey, Duey and Luey. Please note that the previous statement was laced with sarcasm. **

_Ch29…Cleaning Up_

***

"Is this really necessary?" Eric complained the heat of his family's eyes coating him.  
"Yes!" Jackie snapped voicing the grunts of Hyde and Red. "It took me four rinses to get the smell of cheese out of my hair, by the way you owe me a new shampoo."  
"I really have been meaning to thank you for using up all the hot water, that ice cold shower was so refreshing!" Eric replied with faux sincerity pulling at the bib his mother had insisted he wear while eating, if only Donna could see him now.  
"Well it's not like you're getting lucky, I thought you'd be used to cold showers by now." Jackie said with a shrug cutting up more of her pancakes, which oozed with syrup.  
"See now that's the Jackie I know and loathe!" Eric exclaimed clapping. "When's she moving out?"  
Red glared down at his son from over his newspaper.  
"Funny that was the exact same question I was going to ask you."  
"Hush both of you!" Kitty's hangover was more than evident as was her disapproval at her husband and son; scolding them as though they were five years old, which in Eric's case…  
"Eric! Stop playing with your food I think we got enough of that last night!"  
Hyde choked on his bite of pancake at the wounded look on his friend's face, Forman would never learn, thank god for that with Kelso gone he needed to find amusement someway.  
"It was an accident!" Eric protested, in vain Jackie thought, Kitty was still in a bad mood over last night and her skinny son was the perfect scapegoat, it had been his fault afterall.  
"Regardless! I doubt Mina will be likely to come by for dinner in the future!" Kitty complained.  
"Good, one less mouth to feed. Now before you redecorate my kitchen how bout you finish eating your breakfast so you can go and clean the dining room?"  
"Now you say that like it's a question when I know it's really not." Eric commented drily shovelling the last of his pancakes into his mouth careful not to let any syrup spill, why add more fire to the flame.  
"And here I though you learnt nothing in Africa!" Red smiled sardonically at his son. "If this house smells anything other than lemon fresh I will hold you responsible."  
Eric pushed his chair away from the table pretending to wipe a tear away from his face.  
"Gee dad it's just like we're the Brady's can't you just feel the love? Come on now where's my hug?"  
If Red were a dog this would be when one would hear the low rumbling growl, oblivious as always Eric inched his way around the table with his arms held open wide.  
"You have three seconds before I put my foot up your ass."  
Jackie swivelled her head marvelling at the speed at which Eric left the room.  
"He sure can move fast on those twig legs of his."  
Hyde snorted pushing his now empty plate away from him.  
"Yeah, it was how he survived High School, when you can't beat the bully the least you can do is out run him." Hyde paused. "Or her."  
"Beat the bully? Isn't that what Donna was for?" Jackie asked completely serious, Hyde and Red both chuckled the latter pretending not to notice his wife's glare as she snatched his plate from him dropping it loudly into the sink.  
"Well that and other things." Hyde replied arching one eye brow, Jackie scowled her nose wrinkling.  
"Ew." Pushing herself away from the table she turned to the door freezing as she heard Eric's groans, what from she chose to be ignorant to. "Double ew. Come on Steven you're driving me to the salon after that mental image I need to relax."  
Swinging his keys around his finger he followed Jackie out to the driveway and towards his car.  
"What makes you think I'm going to drive you anywhere?" He asked gazing at her from across the top of the El Camino, his chin resting on his hands, Jackie smirked, it was a small one, an evil one, he loved it.  
"You drive me to the salon or I'll tell Red what really makes your special brownies so special."  
"Are you blackmailing me?"  
That is so badass; he thought to himself, his girl was badass.  
"I prefer to think of it as thoroughly effective persuasion but yeah."  
Hyde tried not to let loose the smiling pulling at his face, Jackie's eyes were twinkling and he knew he had lost the battle.  
"Get in the car."  
Cowling with victory Jackie scooted into the seat pulling her legs up underneath her, her hand immediately reaching for the dial changing the station.  
"Uh ah my car, my music."  
Jackie pouted but relented nonetheless settling back while the dulcet tones of The Who streamed into the car. The drive was silent but he knew it wouldn't be for long.  
"Steven?"  
"Yeah doll?"  
The old nickname rolled off his tongue effortlessly, earning small circles of pink on Jackie's face.  
"Last night, with Mina. What were you going to say, you know about that summer?"  
His first instinct was to play dumb and deny, deny, deny but he paused, his instincts had shit for brains.  
"Jackie, if we talk about this there's no going back. You wont be able to just ignore it and pretend that it never happened."  
She inched closer on the seat, her knee brushing against his leg.  
"I know that, I want to know Steven how else can I move forward?"  
His eyes still focused on the road he shifted gears pulling them off and into the parking lot where the old photo hut used to be. He stared intently at the steering wheel breathing heavily while Jackie fidgeting pulling at the loose threads on the hem of her skirt.  
"It's not really a long story at all Jacks."  
Her mismatched eyes drank him in, from his face conflicted with emotion instead of characteristically devoid of them, to the slight shake of his hands and the incessantly tapping foot.  
"Tell me."  
There was that look on her face, that determined, resolved look she got when she really wanted something, it was a look that on more than once occasion had made him kick and curse and give in, he wanted to give in.  
"You know I lied, you asked me if I felt something." He was struggling, this was why he didn't talk about his feelings; firstly it was sissy and secondly because he had no idea how to say it. "I didn't just feel something doll, I felt everything and that scared the crap out of me."

***

She felt ridiculous, no actually ridiculous would be an improvement. She felt like a complete and utter…Kelso, she felt like a Kelso. She was taking advice from a girl who she spent the better part of her life wishing grievous bodily harm to, there was no way this could end well but when you had nothing left to lose…  
"Well here goes nothing."  
She knocked on the door feeling infinitely uncomfortable, unable to recall a time when she had ever done that before, that door had always been open to her. She could hear fumbling from inside and she'd beat her left foot that it was Eric neither Red nor Kitty were that clumsy. The door swung open and all thoughts flew from her mind, she was dumbstruck and the only thing she could do was laugh.  
"Donna! What are you doing here?" His voice came out high and pitchy, his whole body turning scarlet, well at least the skin not covered by rubber gloves, apron and face mask. Donna's eyes were watering from laughing so hard, her stomach aching as she fought to catch her breath.  
"What are you wearing?"  
Not exactly what Pam had instructed her to say but an opening nonetheless. Eric tried to look indignant as he pulled at his facemask smoothing his hair self-consciously.  
"There was a little incident last night with the living room, fondue pots and cheese, I'm cleaning."  
"Hmm and I thought you were playing with radio active materials." She giggled as she fingered the ties on Eric's apron, his face flushing in embarrassment.  
"Well I did always want to be like Spiderman." Eric replied scratching his ear, the silence falling between them anything but comfortable.  
"So did you want some help?"  
She looked so uncertain just asking, Eric smiled slightly tossing her the sponge he had been holding.  
"Does this mean you're talking to me again?"  
Donna frowned stepping into the home that may as well have been her own.  
"You weren't talking to me."  
"No **you** weren't talking to **me**. You ran off and I was giving you space."  
Her eyes flashed the same colour as her hair causing Eric to take a step backwards in haste.  
"I was upset you dillhole! I've been at home crying my eyes out waiting for you to come and talk to me, like adults but I guess I forgot who I was talking to!"  
Eric groaned inwardly Jackie and Mina's words flashing in his mind. All of Pam's instructions were now completely and utterly scrapped. Glaring once more at Eric the flame haired girl stalked back to the door pausing only once to throw the sponge back at his head satisfied by the wet thunk as it collided.  
"Oh and just in case you were wondering **now **I'm not talking to you!"  
The door slammed behind her leaving an aghast Eric to stare at her retreating back. Water dripped from the sponge as Eric squeezed it between his hands, strangling the thing.  
"Great! Well that's just great! It takes two people to talk Donna! One to talk and one to listen!"  
Eric was nodding to himself his hands shaking, never had he dreamed he would miss the sweltering heat of Africa, right now it seemed like a more tranquil place to be even with the bugs and lions.

***

**Hey guys, I was going to check in with Brooke/Kelso/Fez but I just wasn't feeling it. I'm going into my last week of Uni and I have 3 essays and 1 test and then I will be writing to your heart contents. I think we all know the next chapter will be very important for Jackie and Hyde, it only took 30 to get there! As always review and shower me with your love and affection!**


	30. It's Time

**DISCLAIMER: Yeah and right!**

**This is for Flight815Survivor you were my inspiration for this chapter!**

_Ch 30…It's Time…_

***

He could kill that son of a bitch! His hands were aching, literally aching from scrubbing poor Miss Kitty's hair for almost three hours using up some very expensive bottles to rid her hair of that horrible cheese smell, but that was not the worst part. His so-called friend had deigned to start a food fight without he, the connoisseur of all fights food related? It was like going to Fun Land without Kelso or having a circle without Hyde, it was just not done. Jackie had never showed up for her appointment but his mild annoyance at her absence was forgotten by his anger at Eric, there would be retribution, lots and lots of retribution!  
"Oh honey you are a regular superhero!"  
Kitty was beaming into the mirror admiring her hair, newly coloured, washed, curled and now cheese odour free.  
"It was my pleasure Miss Kitty you know I love threading my hands through your glorious mane."  
Her cheeks dotted with pink at his words, Fez always had had a way with the older ladies, even old Mrs. Forman had liked him and she didn't like anyone, crazy old bat her chicken was never dry!  
"I hope Eric scrubbed those stains off the walls, I don't want my dining room smelling like the geriatrics ward at the hospital!"  
"Please don't speak that name in my presence, he is dead to me." Fez spat into the sink three times and made some kind of sign with his hand, which Kitty stared at in confusion.  
"Well okay honey."  
The boy may not always make sense but he could sure teach Red a thing or two with those hands of his.

***

She had always suspected that he would be a very quick performer, a real wham bam kind of guy but even she had expected him to last at least ten minutes.  
"Ass! That is the only way I can think to describe him! I can't believe I spent the last few days crying my eyes out over that…"  
"Ass?"  
"Yes!" Donna pointed at Pam nodding emphatically. "Thank you! Really that was exactly what was I thinking!" She collapsed on the couch next to the confused blonde burying her face in her shoulder.  
"I'm guessing it didn't go well." Pam stated wryly, see this is what happens when you try to do something nice, it comes back and bite you on the ass; now instead of having the house and Bobby to herself she had to council the freakishly tall girl.  
"No it didn't!" Donna snorted pulling one of the cushions to her chest. "That ass has been over there thinking he was giving me time! I swear to God I think each time we have a fight it takes up the memory of the last one so we end up having the same arguments over again!"  
Pam blinked at the rapid-fire speed of Donna, getting dizzy watching her stalk back and forth in the lounge room.  
"Okay so if all you do is argue why are you trying to get back together with him again? What about that guy who works at the record store, he has great hair!"  
"Randy? He's not really my type, I mean he's as girl pretty as Kelso and he thinks he's funny and somehow every conversation turns into an appreciation of his hair, did you know he has twenty one types of combs?" Donna replied exasperated at Pam, she wasn't exactly taking this as seriously as she would hope, Jackie would already be planning ways to make Eric's life hell before he came crawling back to her.  
"They **have** twenty one types of combs?" Pam asked nodding to herself. "Look if you're certain you want to be with Eric I don't really understand why you're arguing with him, just do what every other girl does, dress up sexy get him hot and then deny him sex." Leaning forward she reached for her nail file, her left pinkie was slightly longer than her right.  
"You want me to go back over there make him think everything's okay, get him worked up and then what? Walk away?"  
"Exactly, he'll be so frustrated he'll do anything you want, you'll own him."  
Donna pondered this not noticing Pam watching her with amazement, she was like her very own Barbie doll, she was so clueless about this, and God she probably thought that they were supposed to be equal in relationships and all that crap.  
"That could work, actually that sounds like something Jackie would do." Donna bit her lip. "Well the old Jackie."  
Pam smirked arching an eyebrow at the red head tossing her long hair of her shoulder.  
"Where do you think Jackie learnt? I mean we were in pep squad together."  
Donna was dumbfounded.  
"What did they like give out a how to guide for controlling men in between cartwheels and football games?"  
"Yeah we called them boobs." Pam replied with a smile looking at her own with affection. "This one's Daisy and this one's Maisy."  
Donna tried to ignore that last factoid choosing to focus on the former. The human race was more intelligent than that right? Thinking of her friends, Fez, Kelso, Hyde and even Eric she knew it to be a lie and she was sick of those.

***

And this was why he had always been so hesitant, so scared to ever admit to feeling emotion. His doll was sitting there dumbfounded, her way hanging open her face a complete mask of shock. He wanted to shrink under the intensity of her gaze, wanted to snap and make her look away but he fought the internal battle and ignored his instincts swallowing his words and waiting, after everything he could wait for her, it was he needed to do.  
"Thank you."  
Of everything he had imagined her saying after finally hearing him that was definitely not one of them.  
"Thank you? For what being to chicken to say that I actually liked you? For letting you go back to that idiot and get your heart broken again?" His voice was coming out more bitter than he intended but he couldn't exactly stop himself, the words were spewing out fast and furious and she wasn't backing away.  
"No for saying something other than I don't know." Her voice was soft, no bitterness. "For telling me the truth."  
Jackie was hugging herself, her arms coming up like they were protecting her from something, from him?  
"You deserve the truth." _And so much more_ he added silently in his head, he may be trying to tlk about his feelings but he wasn't about to turn into Forman and blubber away.  
"Thank you for saying that, you always thought I deserved better even when you hated me you thought that."  
"I never hated you Jackie, I resented you. You were the epitome of everything I hated and you made me feel, you made me want to keep feeling and I hated it. I hated how weak I felt, how lonely and so I resented you but doll, I could never hate you."  
He couldn't turn and look at her, too afraid that he would find pity in her eyes, anything else he could handle but not pity. Her small hand, so soft tilted his face towards her his eyes screaming at him to squeeze them shut.  
"It's okay Steven." She said it softly, as soft as her hand, which was now cupping his cheek, a stark contrast to the prickly skin. "_You can look at this as one big fall, life will be both hell and bliss or it can be nothing at all_."  
Her voice was quiet barely more than a whisper, she knew he'd seen the words, traced his fingers over the angry words etched into the pages and marred with tears. She was chewing on her lip; he was surprised there was any lip left to chew on.  
"It is."  
For all the times for her imagination to play tricks on her this was definitely a bad time.  
"It is Jackie."  
He bought his hand up and covered her smaller one lacing their fingers together.  
"What is?"  
They were practically nose-to-nose, her smell making him dizzy.  
"It's worth it, even if you lose."  
So slowly but at the same time so swiftly in that way in which it was inevitable he felt the glasses, his last barrier, protection fall from his eyes so that the icy blue eyes locked onto mismatched ones.  
"Maybe this time I can't take the height."  
It was like they were talking in riddles that only the two of them could understand.  
"Hell and Bliss Jackie that's what you wrote do you want it or nothing at all?"  
It was a mean trick using her own words against her but hey she started it. As always his eyes seemed to bore into her, seeing past everything and right into her very core, she couldn't move now, not even if she wanted to.  
"Steven…"  
She suddenly felt herself needed the sanctuary those scratched lenses provided him, but she would be damned if her reply was 'I don't know'.  
"Am I still worth it Jackie?"  
She wasn't speechless, and she did know but was she ready to admit it? It's just like Eric said the floor really never did open up right when you wanted it to swallow you whole.

***

***hides behind her laptop* Don't hate me but I've been watching LOST season 5 (officially a major fan of SawyerJuliet) and had to give you a cliff hanger worthy of Lindelof/Cuse. **

**  
And still I own nothing, not even the most awesome song Hell + Bliss by Majandra Delfino who played the fabulous Maria DeLuca on Roswell, her r'ship with Michael was probably as frustrating if not more than the r'ship of my favourite Zennie's. Michael and Hyde share that whole stonewall no feelings crap. As always shower me with your love and affection in reviews. I'm gearing up to debut my new fic which takes place in s8 'The Fairy King' and I promise it will be electric! Fans of Randy beware he does not get a nice ending, at all!**

By the way here are the full lyrics in case any one wants them.

Hell = Bliss by Majandra Delfino

To explain the madness of you  
to complain of the sadness involved with knowing you  
to forget the revolting thought of going through  
the regret and the healing that I'd have to do

Through my eyes the sky is pretty  
and you promise you'll join in the flight  
but I can't deny the gritty thought  
that you can't take the height

You can look at this one big fall  
life will be both hell and bliss  
or it can be nothing at all  
so I just ask you now to choose  
but don't you think it's worth it even if you lose?

How do I begin to speak when actions measure true feelings?  
Though your words do leave me weak  
your actions always leave me kneeling  
the true test of time is distance  
but I am not willing to see  
I wont damage with nonsense  
what actions show is meant to be

through my eyes the sky is pretty  
and you promise you'll join in the flight  
but I can't deny the gritty thought  
that you can't take the height

you can look at this one big fall  
life will be both hell and bliss  
or it can be nothing at all  
so I just ask you now to choose  
don't you think its worth it even if you could still lose?

you can look at this as one big fall  
life can be both hell and bliss  
or it can be nothing at all  
so I just ask you now to choose  
don't you think its worth it even if you could still lose?


	31. Is It?

**DISCLAIMER: I still don't own anything. **

_Ch31… Is It?_

***

Red almost immediately regretted coming home for lunch, really he knew better.  
"The house still smells like cheese and you seemed to have caught Sam's allergy to pants."  
His son was not hard at work scrubbing the dining room but looking rather pathetic hugging a beer.  
"I'm fine Dad your concern for me warms the cockles of my heart." Eric burped taking a long slug from his beer. "What are cockles anyway?"  
He just had to come home for lunch, just had to check to make sure his son had done the one task he needed to. One of these days he would live in peace, there would be quiet in his house.  
"You're not wearing pants, it's lunchtime and you're onto your third beer. What happened with the neighbour girl now?" Red resigned himself to the role that seemed to follow him everywhere, stealing a beer from Eric he relished the sip he knew he'd need.  
"Well Donna and I weren't talking and I thought I was giving her space."  
Red winced internally; he wondered if Eric knew just how feminine he sounded when his voice went all high-pitched like that. His hands were flailing about and slamming onto the table, the words flowing steadily from his mouth.  
"What should I do Dad?"  
"Why does everyone keep asking me what to do? Ask your mother she's the one who has to know and fix everything."  
Eric scowled and jerked his head to the door.  
"I already did, she called Donna a harlot and then me the 'a' word, she went upstairs about an hour ago muttering about drinking while pregnant."  
That explains so much.  
"Look I've already gone through this with Steven." Red grimaced. "Twice. Whatever you did or didn't do just go over there and say this. 'You were right. I'm sorry.' You think you can handle that without screwing up?"  
"If I do screw up will I get a foot in the ass?" Eric backtracked once he actually looked his father in the eye. "Talk to her, why didn't I think of that!" His voice was overly high once more but this time in the way he used when lying; he all but sprinted to the door.  
"Uh Eric?"  
It took every ounce of self-control to not groan audibly, he had been so close to salvation.  
"Yes Dad?"  
There it was the death rattle chuckle, he had either done something or was about to do something completely idiotic and make a complete fool of himself.  
"Unless you want Bob to shoot you, you might consider putting some damn pants on before traipsing on over there and handing Donna the last of your dignity." Red smirked. "If there's even any left."  
Eric's mouth set in a firm line his hands clenched into fists by his side. He had to find a way to get Jackie and Donna talking again, the devil and his father had been around each other too much!

***

He wasn't into all that destiny and fate crap, it had taken him long enough to even concede that love was an emotion and not a creation of Hallmark. That old dude who wrote plays said the course of true love never did run smooth, Red had said that nothing worth having ever came easy and he said that this time he'd let her in. This time he wouldn't just run at the first sign of trouble wouldn't back away because it was too hard or because she drove him crazy. She really made it difficult for him to keep that promise, the first one he'd ever tried to keep. It was so tense in the car he was mildly surprised the windows hadn't started to crack, he still hadn't said anything so there was time for those first tell tale fractures to appear.  
"Please say something."  
This was what she both wanted and was petrified of. She had finally given voice to her thoughts, bought them together in a way that made sense and told the person who needed to know them and just like always he sat stupefied and silent. Hyde exhaled slowly trying to arrange his thoughts into some kind of semblance of order but he hadn't much practice and the sheer volume of thoughts trying to grip him had him shaking.  
"What do you want me to say?"  
"Anything, something." Her tone was forceful, her brain was screaming at her to say a million different things; it was an effort to get even one word out. "Just… whatever."  
It wasn't the zen 'whatever' she was pleading for, and he was quite certain if he said 'that's cool' or 'I don't know' his shins would be broken beyond repair with new shades of blue and purple he had never seen before.  
"This is it Jackie, if we do this there's no do over's, no change of mind. We wont be able to go back to the way it was. It'll be over for good this time."  
Her face didn't show how fast her heart was hammering or the millions of doubts flooding her mind, she had to trust her instincts, listen to them for once.  
"I know that Steven, I want this to be over! I don't want to be stuck in this holding pattern forever. I've been stuck for too long already. I need to move forward, and this is how I can do that."  
Tears were once more clawing at her throat and she was feeling dizzy, not to dissimilar to how she had felt in the basement all those weeks ago.  
"When we get out of this car I want things to be better, I don't want have to worry about doing what everybody else thinks I should do. I'm doing this for myself. I'm doing what I want, what I really want." She sighed staring out at the cars whizzing past them. "I don't care what Donna or Fez or Kelso or you think I should do or want." Her cheeks were stained red and her breath was coming out in shaky puffs. "I'm doing what I want. And this is it Steven, this is what I want. You have to accept that. I want **this**, can you live with that?"  
His eyes felt wet, his fingertips brushing at the small tears that were trying to escape, tears he'd deny every having been in possession of.  
"Yeah Jacks, I can accept that." She made to exit the car, his wet fingertips grasping her shoulder, halting her movements. "Just one thing."  
Her hand was trembling in its death grip on the door handle, his poor El Camino being choked by a 95 pound ex cheerleader.  
"Yeah?" She was apprehensive, scared by this one last request, she couldn't even turn around.  
"Jackie, look at me."  
He never liked conversations with her back, preferred being able to see her wide eyes, which could not lie to him.  
"Come on doll, please?"  
Trying to calm her trembling hands Jackie slowly turned scooting across the seat so she was once again face to face with Hyde.  
"What is it Steven?"  
He sucked in her breath, a small taste of her; he savoured it.  
"I just want you to be sure, absolutely certain. Promise me this is what you want."  
Her breath came out shaky but her eyes showed she was resolute, her crazy mismatched eyes.  
"I promise."  
The door swung open letting in the cool breeze, Jackie's heels clacking against the road, his eyes following her every move, his movements mechanical as he exited the El Camino and shut his door, shut his door on the past. His jean-clad legs took fast strokes to catch up with the petite girl who was surprisingly fast, grasping her elbow he spun her around her face for once smiling, her whole face.  
"Good."  
There was no rain, no thunder and sweeping orchestral music unless the beeping of horns and hollering could be considered music but it was him and it was her and really that was all that mattered. Her fingertips brushed his cheek as she slowly pulled away from him instantly missing his lips on hers.  
"Puddin' Pop."  
Hyde chuckled in spite of himself, a smile not a smirk gracing his face mirroring her own.  
"I still can't believe I actually missed you calling me that, doll face."  
Jackie shook her head and pulled his face back down to hers, they would have a lot to tell Mina about at tomorrow's session.

***

Brooke winced, either Michael had missed out on a chick fight or something had happened in Point Place, those were the only two things that elicited that weird shrieky noise from him.  
"Michael what's wrong?"  
Betsy was content on the floor of her playpen oblivious to her father and his death grip on the phone, a petulant pout adorning his features.  
"I can't believe he would do that to us!"  
Crouching low she placed her hand on Michael's knee rubbing it softly.  
"Michael what's happened, is it Jackie?"  
That ex cheerleader certainly had a way of worming into your heart and she'd sounded so confused on the phone the other day, well once she'd wrestled it away from Michael after the second verse of his 'I'm Sorry Jackie' song that sounded oddly like American Pie.  
"Eric had a food fight!"  
Any other person would be in confusion from this statement, but after a year with Michael Kelso she was a pro at understanding him, in some ways he was oddly complex in his simplicity.  
"I know!" Kelso exclaimed into the phone once more, Brooke biting back her laughter.  
"Burn!" Betsy clapped her hands together chanting the one word she could say clearly.  
"Quiet Betsy, Daddy is talking to Uncle Fez."  
He looked so adorably serious, leaning down impulsively she kissed his cheek.  
"Plot revenge on Eric later, lunch is ready."  
Scooping Betsy up in her arms she left Kelso to complain with Fez, she'd never planned for this to be her life but she was glad that it was, there's was only one thing that could make it better and somehow she didn't think it would take too long to bring Kelso around to her idea.

***

Her head was really aching, she was getting whiplash from Donna, first she was in, then she wasn't then she was but chickened out when Red pulled into the driveway.  
"Who am I kidding, I can't pull this off. Besides we've tried this before, I'll give in."  
Pam snorted not noticing Donna's look of totally bewilderment.  
"Please it's not like Eric's some kind of sex god that irresistible to women."  
Donna just stared at the ground; the sad thing was he was irresistible to her. No matter what it always came back to him, always.  
"He must be really good in bed."  
Donna threw a withering glare to the girl lounging on her bed, sometimes she thought her life was just too surreal.  
"It's not about that with us." She paused. "Well not just that, Eric's really sweet, misguided, idiotic and most of the time hopeless but sweet and he loves me."  
"Again I really don't understand your problem I swear you guys just create drama wherever you go. He loves you, you love him and yet he's in the kitchen not wearing pants and you're up here bemoaning your life."  
Pam shuddered and moved away from the window, his legs were so white they were almost ultraviolet.  
"He's not wearing pants?" Donna asked sounding oddly hopeful.  
"Yeah, why that's a good thing you can explain to me."  
If she closed her eyes and pretended that there was a large tub of ice cream in between them it was almost like it was Jackie, almost but not quite.  
"It's how he mopes, he loses the pants, doesn't shower and then someone sets him straight and he comes back."  
The dopey smile on her face was enough to make Pam gag; luckily she had an excellent gag reflex.  
"If he always comes back why did you spend the last week curled up in your room like somebody died?"  
"It's how I mope, that or I run off to California but Midge's joined a nudist colony and I can't handle **that** much of my mum."  
She didn't have to look at Pam to know her nose was wrinkled in disgust; in fact she was mildly shocked she hadn't screamed 'ew' out loud. Bob probably hadn't mentioned his nudist phase to her yet, and if had she really did not want to know.  
"Well are you going to mope around your room for another week?" Pam asked staring back out the window a small smiling pulling at her glazed lips. Donna shrugged pulling at an invisible thread on her bedspread.  
"I don't know."  
"Well you better make up your mind quick cause Eric's on his way over here. Bye!"  
"Wait! Pam! Don't go!" Donna yelled feebly, never had she thought she would say those words. She can do this, she'd known Eric since he was five years old, if all else failed she'd just mention Star Wars or kiss him, either way he'd be distracted.

***

**Your patience has been rewarded, hope it was worth the very long wait!!!**


	32. You What?

**DISCLAIMER: Yeah no, I do not own this, sadly I do not own Danny Masterson or Mila Kunis who if I did, I would force to act out the Jackie/Hyde relationship for me, except they would have a happy ending =D**

_Ch32…You What?_

***

The fondue pots were in their rightful place beside the garbage cans, the walls smelt lemon fresh and Kitty's hair was back to its usual sheen, all was right in the Forman house; at least at first glance. Dinner was for once a subdued affair, although no one mentioned it they all silently acknowledged that Eric's absence was the reason for the quiet, the one time they wanted the twig to put his foot in his mouth and he was suspiciously missing.  
"Steven, Jackie where did you two kids sneak off to this morning?" Kitty asked this with an overly exaggerated wink and shoulder hunch earning an inward groan from Hyde and a faint blush from Jackie who was chewing very slowly on her peas, and she hated peas.  
"Just around."  
Hyde's voice was neutral, no inflection, no emotion nothing but he knew that wouldn't really stop his surrogate mother, especially once she had something in her sights.  
"Fez mentioned you missed your hair appointment Jackie, I can't imagine you'd miss that to just be 'around'."  
Note to self; kill Fez, or perhaps eat his candy in front of him, burn his porn and **then** kill him. Jackie squeaked, fighting with herself not to look over at Steven for help, instead her eyes sought out her other even more reluctant saviour who try as he might could not avoid her eyes.  
"Oh hell, leave it alone Kitty. What Steven and Jackie do or do not do is their business." Red fixed his stare on Hyde making sure to steel his gaze. "As long as I don't have to see it or hear it I don't care and you shouldn't either, you've got Eric to worry about. Lord knows he'll be screwing things up with Donna a whole lot more before these two idiots pull their heads out of their asses."  
Somehow mixed in that was a compliment, and an insult and possibly a warning. It was all very confusing which was probably why Jackie seemed so focused on her plate. One pea at a time, chewing extra carefully till they turned to mush, then swallow, don't look Kitty in the eye, do not engage, DO NOT ENGAGE.  
"May I be excused?"  
Maybe she was stoned, it would explain her intense focus on the plate and the fact that she had just asked it if she could leave. Her fingers were flexing every few minutes, no she wasn't stoned she was anxious and looked just about ready to bolt. She could feel Kitty scrutinizing her, flicking her eyes from Steven and then back to her trying to discern what had happened in the few short hours since she had seen them last, something was different, Kitty could just feel it.  
"Are you okay honey? Do you need me to call Mina over?"  
The tiny brunette shook her head taking an extra large gulp of her water, twisting her knife in her free hand. She didn't have the protection of sunglasses like Steven and she doubted they would even help now that Kitty had zeroed in on her.  
"Now I'm sure she wont mind if you and Steven have some news you wanted to share! Any news at all, if **I** was helping two people who were meant to be together and they **finally** stopped being, well that word Red likes so much, I certainly wouldn't mind being called up at all hours of the night, I'd break out the champagne and celebrate!"  
Red's fork clattered against his plate loudly, a scowl settling comfortably into his features.  
"Damn it Kitty! Jackie, Steven you're excused don't let the door hit you on your asses on the way out."  
Kitty scowled as Jackie sprinted towards the front of the house and Hyde disappeared into the basement, the sound of two doors slamming taking away any illusions she had that two of her babies had worked things out.  
"Look what you did Red!"  
A third door slammed and the Forman patriarch was left alone at the dinner table, with only his beer for company.  
"I'll take that!"  
Once more the door slammed, this time the company of his beer was sorely lacking, maybe he should just skip having meals at home altogether they just didn't seem to work out well for him in the end. The door swung open for what Red felt was one time too many and his son came in whistling quite happily, his shirt held together by one button and his hair messy.  
"You started dinner without me?"  
Eric sounded dismayed, like a little kid. Oh well, at least the whistling had stopped.

***

He was happy to see the sign welcoming him home, even if it did warn all whom passed to not date Kelsos. Brooke had smiled broadly watching the road but keeping an eye on her daughter's father who was taking in each sight as though it were the first time he was seeing them.  
"Wait! Stop the car!"  
Brooke's foot had barely grazed the pedal before he was out the door running towards the dilapidated structure, a can of spray paint clutched tightly in his hand.  
"What's daddy doing?"  
Betsy giggled, wriggling in her seat and clapping in response to Brooke's question.  
"Come on honey let's go see."  
Michael had disappeared up the ladder, which made the whole structure shake, though that could be from his excitement.  
"Michael! What are you doing?"  
Her voice boomed up to him, like all good librarians she could definitely sound authoritative and more than a little disapproving when she wanted.  
"Fixing something!"  
Betsy's bright eyes followed her Daddy while he carefully sprayed something across the giant dome.  
"Why does this thing look like it's flipping me off?"  
Brooke squinted trying hard to read what exactly Michael was writing onto the water tower, all she could make out was a crude heart with a giant X through it though he was now scribbling over it.  
"Daddy Burn!" Betsy gargled happily bouncing in her mother's arms.  
"Not yet sweetie, we've only been in town five minutes." Betsy looked at her with an expression she could only call adorable. "Give it an hour."  
Up high Kelso was concentrating harder than he had since…well actually he couldn't remember the last time he had concentrated on anything. His hand had been choking the can of spray paint since they had left Chicago something that Brooke had been watching with trepidation but he had to do this. The pot leaf would remain, a fitting background for what he now scrawled across the dirty globe. It wasn't particularly clever, it wasn't something that stuck it to the man or insulted someone else. It was just a dumb sentence, one that had been said by every stupid high school senior since the beginning of time. _What a long strange trip it's been… in Forman's basement. _Stepping back to observe his handiwork, the bar dug into his back and squeaked beginning to wobble. The shriek built up in his throat but the scream of Brooke cut his own off, instead of twigs and rocks digging into his back he fell face first into the fresh paint, the black smudging across his cheek. Maybe this would be the year he didn't fall off the tower, but oh what a long strange trip it would have been.

***

It was barely eight o'clock and she was curled up in bed snuggled between overstuffed pillows. If Kitty came in and saw her painting her toe nails on the crisp white comforter she'd probably have a stroke which was why there was a chair jammed under the handle, she was whistling ABBA and had a real smile on her face. The small bottle of Passion Pink balanced carefully on her lap, wobbled as she jerked; something was clawing at her window. She considered calling out for Red, or grabbing her hairspray and letting loose on the bandit who was trying to gain access to her room but she didn't. She had a feeling that this particular criminal wished her no harm…at least this time.  
"You know considering how many guys used to come through this window, I thought it would be a hell of a lot easier to climb up here!"  
Jackie giggled not moving to help Hyde as he stumbled into her room breathing hard.  
"Don't you remember? He had that big tree next to it cut down after she started dating Kelso." She rolled her eyes placing the nail polish on the side table keeping her feet perfectly straight in front of her. Hyde flopped across her legs bunching on of the pillows under his chest.  
"I forgot about that, he tried to climb the trellis and it broke under his weight and he fell down. Good times." Hyde ducked as Jackie swatted at his ears, smirking.  
"Only you would consider taking your friends to the emergency room as a good time."  
She leant back into her pillows relaxing at the familiar feel of Steven's heartbeat thumping against her skin, she knew his heart beat almost as well as her own. She'd missed this.  
"I can think of other things I consider a good time." Hyde shifted so that he was now facing Jackie, his breath tickling her ear, she shuddered.  
"Do they involve Kelso?"  
"No."  
"Hmm, do they involve Fez?" She asked hiding a smile. Hyde blanched shaking his head.  
"No."  
"Please don't tell me its Eric!"  
He could tell she was teasing but she was also teasing him about his manliness and that just wasn't done. Moving quickly he gathered her small hand sin his own holding them tightly at her sides, one leg on either side of her, effectively keeping her from moving.  
"No, they involve me and you, almost exactly like this, with one major difference."  
She leant forward; pretty much the only movement allowed given her position and tilted her head.  
"Oh yeah? What difference is that?"  
He smirked in response letting go of her hands, which she used to trail along his stomach earning a shudder.  
"If you don't remember, I suppose I'll have to do something about that."  
Hyde reached for his sunglasses, confusion marring his face when Jackie's small hand halted him.  
"Steven, wait."  
She pulled her hand away and he left his sunglasses securely on his face, somehow he suspected he'd need them. Her hands wringing in her lap he had feeling he would really not like the next few words out of her mouth.  
"I don't think we should have sex for a while."  
Yep he was right, he **really** didn't like those words.

***

She watched as the girl she had never suspected to befriend wandered around the kitchen in a daze, lucky for her Bob was at his fantasy football league and not around to witness his daughter in what was unmistakeably a post sex glow.  
"I'm guessing you made up, either that or you two decided to move your bed against the wall repeatedly for seven minutes and twenty five seconds."  
Donna didn't have it in her to glare at Pam; it was her advice that in weird sort of way got them back together. Pulling a chair up to the kitchen table she sighed happily.  
"Yeah we're back together, you were right. It's stupid to just keep fighting with him when I want to be with him." Donna grinned to herself noticing Pam's look. "Even if he is a Star Wars obsessed geek."  
"He's not like that in bed is he? You know all 'hey Leia let me show you my lightsaber.'"  
Donna couldn't help but laugh at Pam mimicking Eric; she actually sounded pretty good, complete with hand twitching and head movements.  
"No!" Pam raised an eyebrow and she relented. "Okay so maybe I dressed up as Princess Leia for him." She winced at the loud shriek of laugher. "One time!"  
Pam's shoulders were shaking from her gigles; if she didn't calm down she would probably pass out.  
"Wait, if you guys have been up there making up all afternoon…what did you do for the other two hours?"  
Finally the smile from Donna's face faded and she crossed her arms across her chest, her face now sulky.  
"We watched his Star Wars video, watching it gets him excited."  
Pam's laughter was even louder than before and followed her all the way up the stairs even coming through the door after she slammed it, why had she confided in her?

***

**Hey Guys,  
As always thanks for checking in on me! It's nice to know my humour is appreciated especially considering I find myself hilarious. So I rewrote this chapter a whole lot. Tried to figure out just how to get the whole gang back together, properly. **

**Some of you might complain about me completely skipping over the DE reconciliation but meh. We all know how that would have gone down; E=I'm sorry, D=I'm sorry then awkward creepy DE sex and really I don't want to envision that let alone try to come up with some kind of way of writing it because seriously it would just be a paragraph of 'ew'. BTW, there is no way Donna would be on top I had that thought and immediately decided to settle for some girl talk between Donna and Pam which I find way more enjoyable to write. **

**Also I turned 21 last week and as such was mucho busy with my party, and I'm moving this week, since where I'm going I know no one I should hopefully be able to concentrate on finishing this story so the new one that has been stealing my muse can be unveiled!**

**So until next time**

**80s unlove child**


	33. Back Together

**DISCLAIMER: If I owned this do you really think it would be posted on a site called**** FAN**** fiction?**

_Ch33…Back Together…_

***

The stuff in Hyde's office had gone bad. That was the only explanation for why Hyde was actually at Grooves before two in the afternoon, going through the receipts for the last month. Leo knew he shouldn't have smoked that stuff; it was definitely messing with his head. Leaning forward he poked the mirage of Hyde jumping when it collided with flesh.  
"Hyde man, what are you doing here?"  
Hyde looked over at the squinting hippie who was genuinely confused at the appearance of his boss and sighed his face crumpling to match his clothes; he didn't have to worry about Leo remembering that his zen mask had collapsed for a moment.  
"Just finishing up the sales report for WB, since sales are up he's thinking of expanding the store, he needs these figures by Friday."  
Leo had nodded along but his eyes had gotten that glazed look about three words in.  
"Where's loud girl?"  
He never had figured out just how Jackie had made it into the depths of Leo's mind and remained when the rest of the group who had spent more time with him remained strangers, but he didn't bother dwelling on the subject, Jackie had a way of sticking around.  
"Whatever."  
The truth was he had no idea where Jackie was, after her little revelation last night the two had sat in an awkward silence before Jackie had faked a yawn and suggested they went to bed, his mind still reeling he had been in some kind of trance while she had snuggled down into the bed curling her small body around a pillow, when his mind had finally caught up she was already asleep. His plan to talk to her that morning gone when he found her room empty…at six am.  
"Loud girl should visit more, she always brings the best lunches." Leo smiled at the aforementioned lunches that Jackie had used to bring Hyde the first year the store opened, not that Hyde knew but she would always bring something for 'that dirty old hippie' it was just bad manners not to, at least that's what she had said when Mrs. Forman had caught her.  
"Yeah she did."  
He would rather die than admit he actually looked forward to the stupid brown bags with his name written in girly cursive with an equally girly note spritzed with her perfume in them packed beside his lunch.  
"You love loud girl!" Leo cheered at his boss from the doorway disappearing into the store probably to crash on the couch, Hyde had no illusions his old, in every sense of the word friend would actually work. Hyde stared back down at the barely legible receipts but they just swam before his eyes. The only thing he could focus on was the look of dread that had transformed Jackie's face as Hyde failed to say anything last night. Hyde blinked from behind his shades as some kind of blinding light stepped into the room. His eyes adjusted and he made out the face of Randy.  
"Hey Randy, you're in charge."  
The pretty boy didn't bother to protest or even ask why; it was just the way it was now besides Hyde was already gone, the screech of the El Camino's tyres reverberating through the store. Randy plopped onto the couch beside Leo who appeared to be pulling bits of food from his beard.  
"Where do you think he goes all the time?"  
Leo stared at Randy patting him slowly on his shiny hair transfixed by its UV rays.  
"To see loud girl."  
Leaning back he closed his eyes, and people thought he was the slow one.

***

For once her house was empty, her father had decided to take Pam on an impromptu trip, Donna had declined knowing the details figuring whatever she learned would only add to the years she would later spend in therapy. Eric was back to being her lovable albeit idiotic boyfriend and her days of curling in a ball depressed were gone. She wasn't going to just accept that things were never going to go back to the way they were she was going to fix it. The world would not be right until six people who should have nothing in common yet do are crammed into a dinky basement arguing over nothing at all. She had a plan, a good one and it was going to work. It had to.  
"Milady."  
Eric mimed tipping his hat as he entered the kitchen puling out one of the chairs to sit on.  
"How may I be of service?"  
Any other time she would have laughed at his corniness, possibly mocked his terrible excuse for a British accent but not today, today she had a mission.  
"We're getting the gang back together."  
Eric looked over at his girlfriend, her very serious face, crossed hands and ballot pointed list in front of her.  
"Donna, is this a mission from God?"  
Holding his arms over his head to soften her fists he chuckled, ok so maybe it was not the time for jokes.  
"I kid because I love. Come on Donna I was kidding!" He laughed to himself enjoying the feeling of normalcy, maybe her idea could work and then everything would be back to normal. "So how are we getting the gang back together?"  
Leaning forward Donna smiled as she laid out her intricate plan to Eric; there was no way this couldn't work.

***

She was anxious to leave, she just had to get out of there.  
"Michael why does the bathroom smell like candy?" Brooke asked as she came back into the lounge room. "Betsy!" Fixing Michael with a glare she scooped up her daughter wrestling the Candy Cane away from her, where did you buy Candy Canes in June?  
"There's my little sugar drop!" Fez declared jumping onto the couch. "Brooke, Betsy!"  
She couldn't fight the smile as Michael and Fez hugged happily, if she wasn't so positive of Michael's heterosexuality she'd feel threatened.  
"Oh yes, they had a food fight without us, I haven't even gone to the basement in days to show them how serious I am. They will not be having a good day!"  
Kelso's sounds of indignation earned gurgles of laughter from his young daughter, they still didn't know who he took after but so far she had her Daddy's sense of humour.  
"So you haven't seen Jackie?" Brooke asked curious, her last few phone calls to the petite brunette hadn't been returned and she was growing worried about her friend.  
"My goddess knows if she needs me all she must do is call. I do not blame her for the food fight it was Eric's fault, you know he has those freakishly skinny hands." Kelso nodded his agreement, to anyone else this conversation would be most peculiar but Brooke found it normal which actually worried her a little.  
"Well I was going to go visit her but she mentioned something about Eric not wearing pants and I really don't want Betsy to have to see that."  
She might be able to follow their conversations but there were just some things that only the gang would ever know.  
"When was that?"  
"Monday." She replied not understanding why that was relevant.  
"Oh you should be fine he should be onto the begging for mercy part of his wallowing."  
Fez told her this with a sense of authority usually reserved for his extensive knowledge of candy and porn.  
"Okay then thanks."  
Leaning forward she tried not to roll her eyes as they both looked down her shirt as she grabbed her handbag.  
"Why don't you leave the little angel with us? I don't think she's spent enough time with Uncle Fez."  
Repressing a shudder Brooke smiled.  
"And risk the wrath of Mrs. Forman of visiting without her sole grandbaby?"  
"That we know of, who knows how many kids Laurie could have popped out since she left." Kelso looked to his daughter and nodded.  
"Burn!" Betsy yelled it out gleefully while Brooke tried not to frown, how he had taught her to say burn on command and yet was still lost when it came to potty training was beyond her.  
"Michael no playing with matches!" Brooke called over her shoulder the door swinging shut behind her not quite fast enough to cut off Fez's complaint.  
"She never lets us do anything fun!"  
Why was she considering moving back here again?

***

Why she had gone here over so many other places she didn't know. The water tower just seemed the right place for her to get her thoughts in order. She could always make sense of things when she was up there looking over everything; it made her problems always seem so much smaller in comparison. The smell of paint was still strong and she had been careful not to touch any of the still drying words, it had to have been Kelso she'd recognize his handiwork anywhere. It gave her a sense of melancholy, pitting in her stomach, she could remember the first time they'd painted the tower the ugly pot leaf that flipped everyone off and Kelso inevitably falling off, it took real talent to fall every year and not kill yourself. Donna used to joke that God knew he'd have more fun watching Kelso from afar, Eric would always reply that the Devil thought it was more fun to inflict him on humanity than on those in hell. They would say it every time he fell, every damn time. The sun had risen earlier, minutes, hours she couldn't quite remember which she was too lost in reminiscing. She had been so sure of everything back then, of where she would be, what she would be doing, who she would be with and none of it had happened, none of it.  
_What a long strange trip it's been…in Forman's basement_.  
It's where it all began, but she hadn't had the courage to go back down there since she had collapsed, why was that? Her fingers were strangling her book, back with its rightful owner. She hadn't opened it, written in it since she got it back too scared of what would come out if she let it. Everybody always says to be careful what you wish for, she understood why. It's when you have everything you ever wanted that you have something to lose. She didn't have everything, she didn't have the glamorous TV career or the adoring children and beautiful house, she had a scruffy burnout, a perverted best friend and two surrogate parents. To her, after everything they were everything, her **everything**. She didn't need the job or the house or the money, The Beatles were right because those things can't buy you love and like their other song says 'All You Need is Love', her faith in that had wavered, she'd thought it broken but she knew that somewhere deep inside of her would always be that little girl who believed that true love conquered all. If she ever started to doubt it all she had to do was look to Red and Kitty, they didn't have money, their children were Eric and Laurie and they had to constantly clean up the mess of six people, five of whom weren't even their own kids. But they were happy, really happy.  
"You feel like the walls are closing in on you, it's hard to find relief and people can be so cold."  
She whispered the words her fingers traced over, she'd scrawled it across a picture of the gang, the angry black marker scratching across their smiling faces. She hadn't cut them out, just written it there as a reminder. Her heart broke a little reading her words, remembering how she had felt, feeling those same niggling doubts and little voices.  
"What?" Jackie's forehead crinkled, this was her book, her thoughts, her words and this had not been here before. The small handwriting pressed into the paper with black ink was not hers but Stevens, he'd added his own words to her own.

"Livin' with me, it ain't easy

But I do it every day

Sometimes even now

I wanna run away"

She laughed to herself, her fingers tracing over each word, caressing the ink.

"But there you are

You're tryin' to please me

Yeah you stand your ground

It's more than I deserve

I've taken more than I've been given

I've taken for granted this life I'm livin'

I don't know why heaven above

Blessed me with your sweet love

Though I never tell you what you're worth

It's more than I deserve"

He'd always thought that, she had had to practically choke it out of him but he'd admitted as much to her himself. Maybe he'd never fully understand just how much she loved him, there was no reason to love, no carefully constructed explanation you just do. If pressed she could probably name all the things she loved about him but it would just be a list, she loved him, the person.

"It's just your style to wear a smile

Oh baby you wear it well

If I had my way, I'd dress you in nothin' else"

She giggled softly, _I'll bet._

"So come on here and lay down, a little while

'Cause you right now

You're more than I deserve

I've taken more than I've been given

I've taken for granted this life I'm livin'

And I don't know why heaven above

Blessed me with your sweet love

Though I never tell you what you're worth

It's more than I deserve

I've taken more than I've been given

I've taken for granted this life I'm livin'

And I don't know why heaven above

Blessed me with your sweet love

Though I never tell you what you're worth

That's 'cause it's more than I deserve

Taken more than I've been given

And I've taken for granted this life I'm livin'

And I don't know why heaven above

Blessed me with your sweet love

Though I never tell you what you're worth

It's more than I deserve"

He'd definitely taken her for granted but then again so had she. She'd doubted him, listened to doubt and left before she could hear what he had to say. She'd promised not to run anymore. Small droplets of tears rained down onto the page blurring some of the letters but it didn't matter the words were forever ingrained in her mind. She looked back across the landscape of Point Place, to her it was a beautiful as the lights of Paris because it was here that she had found a family, people to love who loved her right back. _What a long strange trip it's been…in Forman's basement_, she wasn't ready for the trip to be over in some ways it was just beginning so that's where she had to go; to where it all began. Again.

***

**So I used a few songs here, the first being **_**Crash and Burn**_** by the most excellent Savage Garden. Now the song from Hyde is called **_**More Than I Deserve**_** and it is by the oh so tasty Christian Kane who played Lindsay on Angel and is currently starring as the very yummy Eliot Spencer on the awesome show **_**Leverage**_**, I thoroughly recommend checking out both his songs and the show, especially the songs **_**Whiskey in Mind **_**and **_**The House Rules. **_

**Sorry over how belated this, I blame the move to Sydney, it's totally screwing with my muse, for a second there I was worried I had left her in Melbourne but rest assured she was just hiding. Fear not she is back to stay!**_**  
**_


	34. Plan A

**DISCLAIMER: I've asked Santa for the rights for Christmas but I don't think I will be getting it…**

_Ch34…Plan A…_

***

It had taken ten minutes before her hand could even touch the handle that opened the door to her childhood. After five minutes she hesitantly began to twist the knob pushing the door open and crossing the threshold before she could chicken out. The air was stale and smelt faintly of the cheap incense the gang often used to cover the lingering smell of pot. The deep freeze was humming happily and the washing machine was loudly banging along. But it felt all wrong. The seats were empty, the TV blank and silent. She shivered and leant back against the door, that same cheap incense she had complained about, clinging to her clothes no matter how many times they were washed, it was now soothing somehow, familiar. It wasn't exactly the basement itself that was causing her nerves; she still entered in there with trepidation for each counselling session. It was the small snub of a room hidden in the back only accessible by those who knew it existed, which was a lonely few. Her footsteps were soft barely leaving the grimy floor as she slowly made her way to that dank, depressing space that was one of the first places she ever truly felt at home.  
Smoke, beer, peppermint and one smell that was just Hyde clung to the room. The tiny cot was shoved against the wall the same ugly blankets scrunched up on it the dark pillowcase disguising the bright and fluffy pillow Jackie herself had bought him. There were candles scattered here and there, next to radios and a stack of records. It looked almost exactly as she remembered it, no sign of that the stripper whore had ever been more than a horrible nightmare. The drawers of his cupboard were pulled out and shoved in overflowing with shirts and jeans and other stuff the top cluttered with notebooks filled with his tiny handwriting which she knew were his journals. They weren't what she was looking for, it should be near the back, partially hidden from view. The corners were creased but the image on the front was remarkably unblemished despite it not being in a frame. A tiny slip of a girl pulled back against a handsome boy who was rather surprisingly smiling his bright blue eyes shining against the backdrop. Junior prom. They hadn't even been together then and the whole gang had laughed it off none had noticed that in the photo both of their hands clasped together tightly, fingers interlaced. He still had it. She cradled it in her palm being careful as though she were afraid it would crumble into nothingness. Crawling onto the cot she placed her head on the pillow and felt her eyes flutter closed, the picture she held tightly against her chest. It was the most comfortable she had been in months, she was home.

***

It dug into him clawing at his back and creating on odd texture with his pants and he loved it, leaning down he inhaled deeply exalting in the smell of mouldy old furniture.  
"Uh, Fez?" Donna asked as her foreign friend licked at the couch hugging its arm, which was held together with gaffer tape. The boy in question looked up at his four friends dubious expressions and smiled hastily.  
"There was a smudge of chocolate." Fez made a face and picked at his tooth. "I don't think it was chocolate."  
Eric shook his head widening his eyes at Donna his face at direct odds with his heart which was pretty much leaping at having almost the whole gang together again in the basement.  
"Guys! Focus!" Donna glared at each of her friends, it had taken so much of the morning to get them to talk to Eric and come with them to the basement, it had cost Eric several frogs to the arm each from Fez and Kelso as well as the promise that if he ever caused another food fight he would immediately call them both.  
"How exactly do you expect to get Jackie to talk to you? She loves talking but she can give the worlds best silent treatment. Remember that time Hyde said he thought that Bruce Lee could beat up the Fonz? She would come over specifically and stare at him without talking or whisper with Fez look over at him, giggling and then continue staring." Kelso reminded them helping himself to a Popsicle, old friend how he missed you. Eric shuddered.  
"That week was hell, she even recruited mum and Red into freezing him out. I never thought I would be so thankful when she started talking again."  
The four friends shared a small laugh, though Donna's sounded hollow.  
"Well I got to them first." She explained, Eric raised his eyebrows. "Okay so I got to Kitty first and she promised to get Red to help."  
Fez too was now sucking on the popsicle, a little too enthusiastically for Eric but it was Fez and thus normal.  
"So what is this brilliant plan to get our group back to its former greatness?"  
Kelso smirked his smug little smirk his arms crossed behind his head.  
"It can't be better than what I did."  
Eric held in his groan, perhaps this was the one in a million chance that Kelso's idea wasn't terrible.  
"What did you do?" Donna asked, everybody heard the silent _now_ at the end of the question.  
"I painted over the water tower to show Jackie how much we love her."  
Kelso watched as the other three looked at each other, two of them looking increasingly worried.  
"Please don't tell me you wrote Michael loves Jackie again because we just got two of them out of the hospital the last thing we need is you in their and Hyde in jail for trying to kill you!" Eric complained his hands running through his hair. Donna smiled at his theatrics, she really had missed him.  
"Okay calm down their Obi Wan, what did you paint Kelso? Another pot leaf?"  
He looked insulted, another pot leaf? The old one was still visible.  
"No! Way better! Do you remember our yearbook quote?"  
Fez nodded his head slowly.  
"Yes but why are you bringing this up? Tell us about the water tower damn it!"  
Donna got it first groaning loudly, a shriek a few minutes later confirmed that Eric too now understand.  
"You tagged the Water Tower and put my name on it? Red is going to kill me! I can read the headline now. 'Son murdered after father kicks through ass clear into stomach.' Kelso!"  
Donna winced at Eric's high pitch; despite the minor legal problem Kelso's idea hadn't been half bad, it was actually kind of sweet in his dopey Kelso way.  
"You're right Kelso my idea isn't as uh, epic as yours. I went for something a little more subtle."  
Fez snorted as Donna explained the plan of attack, there was no way his princess would fall for such an obvious ruse, she wasn't Laurie!  
"Oh Donna, poor sweet Donna. All Pam and no Jackie make Donna a dumb, dumb girl. My goddess will never, ever fall for such a plan. How did you get Miss Kitty to agree to this?"  
The red head in question's cheeks turned the same shade as her hair.  
"thegrakds" She mumbled as all three boys strained to hear.  
"Ah what was that Donna?" Eric squeaked.  
"Three grandkids when we're married." Donna repeated weakly, Eric paled instantly. "But look we can't be bothered by that right now. Mrs Forman is going to get Red to pick up Hyde and drop him her and then somehow convince Jackie to get here too, she said it would be a combination of a fake counselling session, heaping guilt about growing old in an empty house and manipulation."  
"Well at least now we know where Laurie gets it from." Kelso commented completely serious.  
"So now all we do is wait and hope that they can somehow get those two to come to the basement and not just break down the doors when they realise we're all locked inside?" Fez asked, sounding oddly optimistic, he wanted this to work.  
"Uh yeah, I guess so." Donna said leaning back into the lumpy couch. "What should we do?"  
Three identical grins graced the boys faced. "Yeah not going to happen, that's our last resort! Kelso just turn the TV on."  
"Ooh I think this is the episode of _Gilligan's Island_ where Gilligan destroys their chance to go home."  
Donna and Eric looked over at Fez who was now engrossed in the TV, they wanted their group back together again, the missing burn from Hyde at such a boneheaded remark, the girlish giggle of Jackie and then congratulations to her boyfriend on such a wonderful burn. They wanted it all back.

***

His trusty el Camino had made the trek to their spot easily, he'd barely paid attention it was almost as though the car knew where it had to go; a car that had a mind of its own. It was like something Kelso would think up. He had been chagrined to find a shiny car parked in their spot, it felt wrong and his anger boiled up beneath his skin. No one else was ever supposed to be there, it was meant to be their spot. His anger dissipated somewhat as he recognised the car and then the two people sitting in it. He had blanched at the thought of his two parental figures coming to his private place to do **that.** It took a few minutes for him to realize that they were both just sitting in the front seat of the Toyota, although the way Red's shoulders were slumped showed that it was argument he was not winning. He debated leaving, Jackie obviously wasn't here but curiosity got the better of him.  
"Steven! We've been looking all over for you!" Kitty all but shouted in his face.  
"Not to be rude by why are you looking for me here? How do you even know about this place?" He asked scratching his ear. Red opened his mouth to no doubt grunt an answer only to be cut off by Kitty.  
"Jackie told us silly! She's at the house right now with Mina, she said it was an emergency and we were to find you straight away."  
It was a half lie; Jackie had told her about **their** place, she just hadn't sent them there. Given the sullen look on his face at breakfast it had been easy enough to go to the clearing and wait for him to show up. It had just taken a complex lie involving Packers tickets and beer to get Red to come along.  
"Why didn't she just call me at Grooves?" Hyde wondered aloud.  
"Oh dear she tried but Leo answered and thought he'd won a radio contest." Kitty laughed nervously and clapped her hands. "She sounded absolutely frantic, I just shudder to think what she needs to tell Mina."  
As expected Hyde seemed to snap to attention her words really sinking in.  
"Thanks for telling me Mrs. Forman, I'll just head home then."  
"We'll follow you!" Kitty yelled out the window ignoring her husband's grunts. "Hush it Red, this will all work out! You'll see!"  
"You'll see alright. You'll see my foot up their asses if this goes wrong." Red promised his eyes glowering at the road. "Why can't we just stay out of it for once Kitty?"  
Somehow he managed to complain without sounding like Eric, it was an honest question.  
"These are our babies Red and you know if we let them make all their own decisions they'd be lost! Now hurry up we can't let Steven figure out what's going on. You follow him down and I'll look for Jackie, since she wasn't at the clearing I think I know one other place she might go."  
Red stared out at the road, this was revenge for all those commies he'd killed, he just knew it. Wasn't having a pansy ass son punishment enough?

***

**Hey guys, **

**for Christmas Santa decided to give my muse a sister and now they are playing happily in my mind. I've had this part of the story; the group's reformation planned out for a while. I always knew the only way to get Jackie and Donna to talk would be to put them in the same room. If alone Jackie would have probably taken down Donna like she did Laurie. The boys are in there to prevent this, although Fez and Kelso are probably secretly hoping for a girl fight. A Jackie/Donna reconciliation may or may not happen, I have my personal preference but I need yours so please let me know which way you would like this to go. Next chapter we will see what happens now that are favourite group is together again and just how exactly Kitty, Red and Brooke will be helping things along from the outside. **

**So I hope everybody has had a Merry Christmas! And enjoy my own gift to you; my story. **

**PS. Thank God, Christmas is over because my job totally ate up my writing time. I really wanted to have this posted last week!**


	35. Plan B

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. Nothing I tell you! Good day. I said GOOD DAY!**

_Ch35… Plan B…_

***

Something wasn't right. For one he could hear what sounded like Science Fiction Theatre coming from the basement and Jackie refused to watch that show. For another Kitty was following him down the stairs claiming she wanted to just say hi to Mina. He may be a paranoid scruffy burnout but that didn't mean something wasn't going on. He grasped the basement door pulling it open noticing immediately as he walked through the door that one; Jackie was nowhere to be seen and two; this was definitely some kind of set up. The door slammed behind him, the keys jingling before the solid thunk of the lock slid into place, they really should lock that door more often. From above he could hear the muffled curses of Red, a long squeak which he figured was one of the chairs being dragged across the floor before being shoved under the door handle to the basement stairs.  
"Ooh I think this is the one with the evil tongue that mutates into baby tongues!" Eric exclaimed "Hey, ow!" He rubbed his stomach where Donna elbowed him. "What was that for?"  
Donna rolled her eyes and gestured to Hyde who was still frozen next to the door, no sign that he had even heard Eric showing.  
"Hey Hyde, buddy?" Eric waved his hand in front of his sunglasses, snapping his fingers.  
"Did we break Hyde?" Fez asked sounding nervous from his seat on the couch. Kelso shook his head pointing to Hyde's hands, which were curled up in fists.  
"Nah, I think he's just so mad he can't move."  
Eric took a wide step back moving behind the couch to rest his hands on Donna's shoulders.  
"Maybe now would be a good time to let Hyde in on Plan A?"  
He asked this very slowly trying not to move his lips although afraid any sudden movements might cause Hyde to snap. Donna shook his hands away standing up to face her long time friend whose face was twitching.  
"Hyde, you in there?"  
Kelso poked him in the back screaming in pain when Hyde spun around and twisted his finger.  
"What the hell is going on?" His voice thundered through the basement, later on Eric would swear on his GI Joes that the walls had actually shook.  
"It was Donna's idea!" Kelso shouted breathing with relief when Hyde let go of his finger.  
"Ooh pretty, can I touch it?"  
The gang turned to look at Fez who was fascinated by Kelso's mangled hand.  
"Ow!"  
"Great job dillhole, it looks broken." Donna wrapped the frozen peas from the deep freeze in an old towel and placed it around Kelso's hand turning back to glare at him, Hyde just shrugged.  
"Hyde why don't you sit down, we didn't exactly factor in broken bones in contingency plans B through G." Eric asked pulling rumpled paper from his pants pocket.  
"Why don't you start with plan A?" He replied arms crossed his chest, legs spread wide from his chair, somehow he knew the stupid helmet was going to come into play very soon.  
"We just wanted things to go back to how they were." Donna started flopping onto the couch. "Everything's been so screwed up lately and-"  
"You thought you'd take it upon yourself to just fix everything and tie it up with a little bow?" Hyde interrupted sarcastically. "That's not going to happen Donna, how many times do you need to hear it before it gets through?"  
His anger had slowly been boiling all day and it seemed that this was going to cause the eruption. The redhead was frowning, clutching onto Eric's hand.  
"I know that! I know I can't fix everything, okay! But I want to at least try; you think I don't know how badly I screwed up? I do. And I hate myself for it."  
Tears stained her eyes, her face was now blotchy, the vein above her left eye throbbing. He wanted to yell at her, wanted to let his angry words spew out of him but he bit it back counting to ten in his mind. Mina would be proud, breathing deeply he turned to her.  
"It's not me you have to convince Donna, it's Jackie."  
"What do you think this whole thing is about? She wont talk to me, she wont listen to me, this was the only way I could think of to get her in the same room as me without leaving."  
"And what are we? Witnesses in case she tries to kill you?" Hyde spat out unable to curb his anger.  
"No, God Hyde. This isn't just about me, or about Jackie it's about all of us. When was the last time we were all together? Can you even remember that far back?"  
He didn't want to give her the satisfaction of knowing that he couldn't actually remember.  
"So what? People grow up Donna, they change no one ever said we all had to be together forever. Maybe it's time we all moved on from this."  
Eric jumped up from the couch waving his hands at Hyde.  
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Just wait a minute here. We are not growing up. We haven't changed." Eric pointed to Fez "Still a pervert who sometimes wears dresses."  
"Burn!"  
"And Kelso's still… well Kelso." Eric continued glancing back at Donna. "And I'm still a twitchy Star Wars geek with a girl way too hot for him."  
"Well that is true." Fez agreed reaching up to play with Donna's hair, scowling when she swatted his hand away.  
"And I'm still in love with the string bean." Donna added staring down at the floor. "I still wear plaid and my feet are still huge. And I miss being told why all those things are wrong."  
Eric rubbed Donna's back looking over at his friend hopefully.  
"Come on Hyde, you'd miss us if we weren't around." Fez sang batting his eyes at him.  
"Yeah like a hole in the head." He muttered under his breath. "Look I'm not saying I'll help you but what is this plan of yours besides locking us in here and hoping she wont just kill you."  
Four friends exchanged nervous glances and Hyde groaned, she was making it hard not to yell at her.  
"That was your plan?"  
Eric held out the rumpled paper with a knowing smirk.  
"Just A, we've still got B through G!"  
"You should be wearing the stupid helmet. Hell you should have put it on a long time ago Donna."  
Smirking inwardly as his words landed the sting evident in her face, Hyde settled back into his chair, this was going to be a very long day.

***

Red was getting tired, the town wasn't that big and he'd driven around it for the fifth time.  
"I'm sorry Kitty but she's not here, and she hasn't scheduled another appointment with me until next week. Even the nutritionist said she was doing much better." Mina smiled apologetically gesturing to Jackie's file. "Make sure you get her to call me when you do find her, I think we need to arrange a little chat sooner rather than later."  
"Sure thing honey and if you do see her-"  
"I'll send her your way." Mina finished. "No problem now get out of her before Dr. Evans sees you, we're a nurse short for the night shift."  
Who knew Kitty Forman could move so fast?  
"Slow down Kitty if we didn't find the first five times we drove around town what makes you think we'll find her this time?" Red grumbled puffing as he reached his wife who was frantically pulling on the Toyota in her bid to escape from extra hours in the hospital.  
"Red Forman! Are you not concerned that Jackie has been missing all day? She wasn't in the woo!ds, or the salon or the mall. She wasn't with Brooke and Betsy. The church or the water tower either."  
"Remind me to kick Eric in the ass for that one."  
"I doubt it was Eric sweetie, his handwriting has far more swirls in it." Kitty told him absently staring out the window thinking hard. "Maybe she went to the garage?"  
Red was going to shoot down his wife's suggestion; how would the tiny girl get into a locked garage without a key? But he didn't have the heart and right now he really needed a sip of the whiskey he kept hidden in his toolbox.

***

She had the familiar ache in her lower back and her shoulders were stiff all telltale signs she hadn't been sleeping in her bed. She only got these pains from sleeping on a cot, an army issue cot to be exact. Yawning silently Jackie sat up slowly her eyes adjusting to the dimness of the room despite the aching of her muscles her sleep had been surprisingly peaceful. The mouldy smell of mothballs had always been a comfort to her. The paper beneath her fingertips crinkled and she looked at the photo once more. How can something feel like so long ago and yet just like it was yesterday at the same time? Her heart thudded in her chest, the blood pounding in her ears. Where there people in the basement? Once upon a time that would have been a stupid question but the once hum of activity had been dormant for weeks.  
"…believe she'd think that…"  
"…what do you expect….were a bitch…cut out…."  
The words were muffled but she could distinctly make out Steven and Donna arguing. There were fast steps and sputtering which was obviously Eric, the steady drum and squeaking meant Kelso was there too, the crinkling of a wrapper, Fez. The whole gang back together, just great.

Careful to avoid the clutter on the floor she moved towards the door where she could eavesdrop better.  
"…quit trying to trick her into forgiving you, it wont work. Getting her locked in here with everybody will probably just piss her off even more!"  
Donna's reply was muffled by something, tears maybe? But she caught the gist of the conversation. It made her insides thud once more; it was almost like an intervention, no one could leave. She was the only one missing and she didn't know if she wanted to go out and face them or even if she could. She could only pray that Steven would get fed up and storm off to his room and not alert the others to her presence.  
"…be friends again."  
"It's not about what you want. You just don't get it you still think this is all about you, the Donna show. It's not! Think hard, it's not just about Sam, it never was."  
Finally, the sound of his boots clicked across the basement nearing the door. Jackie breathed in a sigh of relief; even with their awkward conversation on the rise she was thankful to see him.  
"Hyde wait. What do you mean?"  
Jackie pressed her ear against the flimsy wall very interested in his response.  
"Ask anyone, it's pretty damn obvious Donna."  
Her heart swelled, she'd once told Donna that it was cool when men acted like they own you but what she really loved was when they defended your honour.  
"Guys?" Donna sounded like a small child her green eyes seeking out their faces, which were now avoiding her. "Eric?"  
"Well come on Donna you never were the greatest friend to her, you didn't tell her when Kelso fooled around on her with Pam or with Laurie or anyone else."  
"Yeah and you were always telling her that Hyde only wanted in her pants and didn't really care about her." Fez added inhaling some chocolate he'd found under the couch cushion. Kelso clapped his hands loudly and jumped up in his chair.  
"Ooh I got one! When Jackie decided to take Hyde back you hung out with that biker chick and weren't mean to her!"  
"Oh good one Kelso." Fez praised his friend. "Jackie was very upset by that."  
"Guys." Eric yelled a warning in his voice. Jackie had to strain to hear the wet sobs that she recognised as Donna's she felt a slight pang but squashed it back down. The door to the small room swung open catching her off guard and she stumbled back.  
"What the-" Hyde begun to swear, cut off when Jackie pounced on him holding her small hand over his mouth shaking her head frantically. The other four friends fell silent their footsteps headed towards them.  
"Hyde?"  
Jackie's eyes pleaded with his and he bit back a groan motioning for her to move settling her behind the door while he talked to the others who were now crowded against the door, Jackie holding her breath hoping she wouldn't be caught.  
"What happened?" Kelso was trying to peer into the room but Hyde had planted himself firmly in the way.  
"Nothing, I saw a rat."  
As predicted Fez and Kelso both visibly paled clutching each other while Eric took a step back.  
"We're locked down here with a rat?"  
From behind the door Jackie's eyes had widened, he better just be trying to distract them because Donna or no Donna there was no way in hell she was staying in this basement if there was a rat down here.  
"Well I dunno, it was black and furry and skittered across the floor just figured rat." Hyde gestured to the stack of boxes behind them.  
"It went that way."  
Two down, Fez and Kelso both made for the relative safety of the better lit centre of the basement. Eric was tugging on Donna's hand also wanting to get away from the rat. Hyde fixed his zen face on them staring until Donna finally turned and headed back towards the sofa. Swinging the door closed he planted one hand on either side of Jackie's head and leant in close his lips brushing her ear.  
"Relax doll there's no rats down here."  
Pulling back he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear his finger tracing down her face; her hesitance from this morning waning. The other sounds of the basement murmured in the background, her heart providing a steady drum.  
"Well except for them."  
Hyde jerked his head to the side indicating their friends and Jackie giggled softly, she could be quiet when she wanted to be.  
"Thanks for not busting me."  
Her voice was so low she was practically breathing the words, each word hitting his face in little puffs.  
"No problem. So you heard all of that?" Hyde asked scratching his ear as he sat on the bed Jackie pulling her legs underneath her as she sat next to him.  
"Pretty much. Thanks for sticking up for me." Jackie whispered softly resting her head on his shoulder, his arm curled around her.  
"What were you doing down here anyway?" He asked keeping an eye on the door.  
"Looking for you." She replied staring down at the photo. "I found this."  
Hyde pulled the photo from her hands gently staring down at the two of them from years ago.  
"Why do you still have this? I mean after the last time I thought you would have thrown it out."  
Hyde clucked his tongue shuffling forward to put the photo back in its place.  
"I couldn't."  
It was only two words but she knew what he meant. Very slowly she turned and placed a soft kiss on his stubbly cheek nuzzling it.  
"Me neither."  
But of course he already knew that.  
"I read it."  
His heart thudded so hard against his chest he wondered if she could feel it.  
"You were wrong. I'm exactly what you deserve."  
She laced her fingers with his knowing that at any moment he would shrug off this 'touchy feely' moment.  
"So how are we going to get out of this basement?" She asked shifting to stare at the ceiling, the hundreds of glow in the dark stars still stuck there. She felt his low grumble of laughter before she heard it.  
"Well grasshopper it seems I still have a few lessons in zen and ass kicking to impart on you."

***

**How will our favourite Zennie's turn this around on the gang? What are plans B through G? And most importantly will D and J ever make up? Well you'll see in due time….**


	36. Lesson 265

**DISCLAIMER: It's been 35 chapters and I think by now we all know that I do not in fact own this. I will give you a moment to grieve for this fact.**

_Ch36…Lesson #265_

***

Eric bit his lip; Hyde had been in his room a long time. Kelso and Fez refused to move from their seat on the deep freeze, still afraid of the mouse. Not going to plan was a saying created for this kind of situation. Donna was next to him wringing her hands together, her eyes were bloodshot and her face slightly puffy from crying, he mentally congratulated himself on not making those observations aloud, he was learning.  
"They should have been back with Jackie by now." Eric paused in his pacing with a large gasp. "What if she figured out what we were planning and killed them?"  
Fez and Kelso groaned throwing half eaten popsicles at his head, Donna glaring up at him from the couch, okay so that wasn't what she needed to hear. Still it could have happened. Hearing a scuffle Eric moved to the door peering through the window, the Toyota was nowhere in sight although there was a pretty brunette making her way down the stairs.  
"Hello, are you guys in there?"  
"It's Brooke!"  
Not the brunette they were hoping for but better than nothing. Donna stood up making her way to the door.  
"Hey, hi Betsy!"  
The redhead waved at the little girl safely tucked up in Brooke's arms, she frowned slightly when the former librarian just smiled stiffly at her not meeting her eyes.  
"Your parents called, they can't find Jackie anywhere." Eric and Donna exchanged uneasy glances; they hadn't covered this in their contingency plans. "Can you guys think of anywhere else she might be?"  
Eric shook his head while Donna shrugged, the couple turned to Kelso and Fez with hopeful glances, one had to be hopeful when the fate of something rested in their hands.  
"The old school?"  
Fez scoffed at Kelso's suggestion hopping down to join the other two at the door.  
"No Jackie hates that place, maybe she went back to my apartment? Or she could be with that son of a whore Fenton, he was always trying to take my Goddess away from me."  
"Fez no swearing in front of the B-A-B-B-I-E." Kelso spelled frowning at his best friend, Brooke just rolled her eyes, this was getting them nowhere.  
"Can you ask Hyde? No one's seen her since last night, I'm really worried about her." Brooke asked jiggling her daughter up and down when she started to fuss. Eric was silent until he realized all eyes were on him.  
"Why do I have to ask him?"  
Donna just looked at him, the look that pretty much said 'just do it.' He knew that look well.  
"Fine, but if he kills me, I want my gravestone to read 'Here lies Eric Forman, beloved son, friend and Jedi Master. May the force be with him.' Ow! Donna I'm moving, I'm moving!"  
Eric stepped away from his violent girlfriend moving hesitantly towards Hyde's door.  
"What about the mouse?"  
Donna rolled her eyes and pointed at the door stubbornly.  
"Be a man Eric. If you see a mouse just stomp on it."  
Eric blanched at the thought of dead bits of mouse stuck to his shoe. Taking feather light steps he made his way to the back of the basement, eyes narrowing at the muffled voices he could hear. He raised his hand poised to knock when the door swung open and Hyde exited all but barrelling him over.  
"Geez Forman what are you doing? Trying to take over for Fez as the wardrobe stalker of Point Place?"  
Carefully Hyde manoeuvred Eric back into the central area of the basement.  
"Jackie's missing, Brooke wants to know if you can tell us anywhere the devil may be hiding."  
Hyde's face didn't move an inch, on anyone else that would have been a clue.  
"Now why would I do that?"  
Arms crossed behind his head, smirk, legs on the table and glasses in place. Phase one, check.  
"Well the sooner they find her the sooner this will all be over." Eric pointed out, he hadn't really factored in that this would take more than a day and he didn't relish the idea of sleeping on the couch.  
"And have her abuse my shins when she realizes I helped set her up? No thanks."  
Hyde's arms fell to his sides, his fingers unconsciously reaching for the paper he'd stashed in his pocket. Standing quickly he walked over to where Brooke was still standing on the other side of the door; she really did look worried. He glances around the room, the moron twins were trying to open the deep freeze without moving off it and Donna and Eric were now back on the couch the former with her head in her hands, Eric comforting her. Swiftly he dropped the piece of paper to the floor using the tip of his foot to slide it under the door.  
_Look down_.  
Brooke crinkled her eyes shaking her head at Hyde, _what? _  
_Look down_ he mimed again, nodding with his head. He smiled inwardly when she caught on, her eyes widening as she took in the crumpled paper. She stuffed it her pocket and smiled at Hyde.  
"Sorry Brooke, I can't help you."  
Okay maybe that was a bit much, he could count on one finger the amount of times he had apologized let alone in front of the group, thankfully they were preoccupied.  
"Well if she's lying in a ditch dead somewhere you'll be sorry!"  
His eyes widened behind his glasses, he'd never heard Brooke speak that way, he'd actually be worried if he hadn't caught the twinkle of amusement in her eyes. She stomped up the stairs for good measure. Keeping his zen in place he stalked over to the deep freeze lifting up the lid with the two idiots still on top, they crashed into the wall. Before anyone could react he was back in his room the door slammed behind him, in the commotion no one had noticed that he had taken out two popsicles.

***

Jackie was pacing the small room noiselessly, her shoes lined up carefully by the cot. She jumped slightly when the door swung open, her heart hammering in her chest even though she knew it would be Hyde. She swallowed a squeal when he shot her a thumbs up, holding up the popsicle she accepted it gratefully, she hadn't eaten all day if Mina found out she'd kill her.  
"Thanks, I'm starving." She admitted practically attacking the sticky treat completely oblivious to Hyde's discomfort as her mouth closed around the Popsicle. "Cherry, yum."  
He flopped onto the cot biting into his treat with much less enthusiasm, the room was dim, the only light coming in from the old lamp balanced on the shelf above his bed. Hyde grabbed his pillow and tossed it next to him gesturing for Jackie to join him.  
"It was Brooke, lucky break for us. I slipped her the note now all we have to do is wait."  
Jackie pulled herself back against the wall and curled her legs beneath her.  
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Jackie asked rubbing her lips together. "I want to teach them a lesson but I don't want to be mean."  
"And Eric thinks nobody's changed." Hyde said tossing his popsicle stick in the direction of the bin not bothering to look to see if it made it, Jackie gave him a look. "Just think of it as Karma."  
"Are you making up words again?"  
Hyde bit back a laugh Jackie's look of disapproval proving to be too much.  
"No, it means what goes around comes around. You do bad shit and bad shit happens to you."  
"You know Mrs. Forman always said that whatever you put out into the world would come back to you times three but I always figured she was just saying that to make people feel better, like when she told Eric that sweater vests made him look manly." Jackie said slowly trying to wrap her head around this idea. "So we're just giving them what they have coming anyway?"  
Hyde smirked; she always had been a fast learner.  
"Exactly grasshopper, of course it's a pretty awesome burn too."  
"I guess."  
A ghost of a smile played upon her lips, visions of their plan unfolding in her mind. He could tell the exact moment that any doubts she was having vanished, her lips set into a devilish smile and her eyes glittered.  
"You know what? You're right these guys need to be taught a lesson. I don't think it'll be too hard for Brooke to get Red to go along with it. Mrs. Forman will be the holdout, was Betsy with Brooke?"  
Hyde nodded to the affirmative; he'd honestly never been as attracted to Jackie as when she was scheming. It was so badass.  
"Good, she can't say no to the baby and Brooke is not averse to using her to manipulate people."  
"I knew she'd been hanging out with you too much." Hyde remarked revelling in Jackie's look of huff. "Kelso taught her how to do that." Jackie corrected him nudging him on the shoulder. "**I** taught Kelso."  
Hyde took in her sly look, she looked so perfect like that. Without any thought he leaned forward capturing her lips in a kiss before she could react. She responded eagerly moulding her mouth to his bunching his shirt up in her fists as she pulled him closer to her falling back against the bed. Every part of him screamed to let this continue but he knew that he'd regret it later on if he did.  
"Jackie, we should stop."  
She nibbled on his lip her fingers dancing across his neck pulling lightly at the hairs she found there.  
"Mmhmm, just one second." Pulling down on his head she kissed him hard pulling away moments later. "Thank you."  
Hyde inhaled shakily still half in shock she hadn't pushed him away and kicked his shins.  
"Not that I'm complaining but what bought that on?" Jackie asked trailing her hand across his shirt.  
"That look, it was the same look you got when you busted Eric the summer we got together. Sneaky, evil and a little proud."  
"Wow, please stop before you make me melt with your sweet words." Jackie replied rolling her eyes, for Hyde that was sweet talk. He smirked back at her pretty pleased with himself.  
"If you want girl talk date Forman or Fez."  
Jackie blanched, shuddering at the thought; the twizzler or the perve, no thanks.  
"That was just cruel."  
"I know, I said it to be funny but I think I threw up in my mouth a little bit." Hyde stretched his jaw, definitely threw up a little.  
"And they thought we were creepy and unnatural." Jackie teased lightly, his body was sagging slightly into her own and his heart had settled into a steady rhythm. "About last night-"  
"Hyde some of us are kind of getting worried about you back there, the cot's squeaking you're not back there enjoying yourself are you?"  
Damn Eric. Hyde felt like punching the wall, Jackie was right he definitely had the worst timing of anybody he knew. Hyde exhaled noisily through his teeth an identical look of frustration on Jackie's face.  
"Go." She whispered softly. "Brooke should probably be coming back to 'break the news' soon anyway." Reaching up she kissed him softly on the lips. "We can finish this after."  
"Count on it." Hyde growled pulling himself up with a frown. Jackie stayed lying down, her hair slightly mussed, lips pouty and slightly swollen, he was going to kill Eric. Watching him go she snuggled back into the sheets with a smile on her face, they had no idea what was about to happen.  
"Ow! What was that for?" Eric wailed his high pitch piercing through the walls to Jackie clearly. Hyde's reply was muffled but it didn't matter she knew why he had really frogged Eric; he was just lucky she was hiding out, his shin would have been broken in half.

***

"What do you think I should do?"  
Brooke looked over taking in her eyes and sighing loudly.  
"I know, I know it's completely juvenile but then again so is locking six people in a basement."  
The young girl just stared the slim brunette was going to go crazy if she kept walking back and forth like that.  
"Don't look at me like that! It's not like I'm doing anything **that** wrong. We're just going to give them a good scare."  
"Burn!" Betsy clapped gleefully succeeding in halting Brooke's pacing. She smiled to herself, a burn.  
"That's right baby, after the last few months they deserve a little payback."  
Leaning down she picked up her daughter and jiggled her on her hip, stepping out of the way as the old Toyota that Jackie and Red were so fond of pulled into the driveway.  
"You ready for this?" She asked hesitantly allowing Kitty to take Betsy from her arms the surrogate grandma helpless in the face of an adorable baby. Red watched as his wife disappeared into the kitchen with Betsy an evil smirk appearing on his face.  
"Are you kidding? This is going to be fun."  
She followed him down the stairs and into the basement schooling her expression into one of extreme nerves not hard consider she was already nervous.  
"Where's Jackie?" Fez asked scrutinizing the two new arrivals. Red glared at him before turning his steely eyes on his son and his girlfriend.  
"I hope you're happy. Mina just rang your mother, Jackie's been to the hospital apparently she was upstairs when you idiots were talking, overheard your whole damn plan."  
Donna paled noticeably her hand clutching onto Eric's, Kelso and Fez had slid off the deep freeze and joined their friends around the table.  
"What do you mean she was at the hospital?" Hyde cut in a mixture of worry and anger colouring his words.  
"She's fine, as far as we know. Mina said she ran off mumbling something about ending things once and for all." Red was practically steaming the anger coming off him in waves. "I've got your mother upstairs convinced Jackie's gone off to kill herself somewhere, I promised her that you dumbasses would find her and make sure that didn't happen."  
"My goddess!" Fez gasped holding his hand to his heart. Kelso reached over and hugged Fez.  
"We can't let Jackie die!"  
Brooke let out a nervous breath, time for the big reveal.  
"We don't know where she is or what she's doing. The last time I spoke to her she kept talking about wanting to see the lights of Paris one more time." Her voice broke towards the end her hands trembling, if they could tell it was from nerves it didn't show.  
"But Jackie's never been to France." Eric said his forehead knotting in confusion.  
"The water tower, Jackie said the view was like the lights of Paris. She told me when we painted-" Donna broke off feeling Red's eyes on her. "Nevermind, we have to get to the water tower, now!"  
"We'll take the vista cruiser." Eric scooped the keys from his pocket and made for the door.  
"You better be right about this dumbass." Red threatened.  
"Or else we'll get your foot in our ass. Yeah, yeah we know why don't you try a new threat out every once in a while" Eric called over his shoulder ignoring Red's glare that followed him out the door. Hyde slowed for just a moment, pausing as he past Red and Brooke; the three shared a small smile. The door to the basement shut with a bang the vista cruiser screeching away moments later. Jackie poked her head out the door breathing a sigh of relief.  
"You ready to see something really funny?" She asked once she had joined them.  
"Lets go." Red replied ushering the girls out the door, so Eric's not so worried about getting a foot up the ass. Let's see how he handles this.

***

**Okay so that chapter took a lot out of me! I knew that I needed to get a JackieHyde moment in but it couldn't just be for the sake of it. Keep an eye out cause this fic is almost done! Special love goes out to &&&& for her very awesome review and as per her request very soon there shall be a crossover fic coming up between our favourite basement gang and the gang from Buffy. **


	37. Revenge Served

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own this. **

_Ch37…Revenge Served…_

***

The ride from the Forman's had been swift, Kelso and Fez hadn't even argued over who got to ride shotgun. Hyde kept his practiced mask of cool over his face trying not to let even one tiny smirk escape and ruin their plan. He could spot the Toyota tailing them far back; it looked as though Red was putting to use all of the knowledge gleamed from repeated viewings of _The Fugitive._

"I'll never forgive myself if something happens to Jackie." Donna said to Eric her fingernails chewed down and starting to bleed.

"Well at least then you and Jackie will actually have something in common." Hyde snickered leaning over to squeeze Donna's shoulder, the redhead looked at him in horror. Even Kelso seemed to be in shock, the only person not sending him dirty looks was Eric and that was because his eyes were on the road.

"Jackie could be getting ready to jump off the water tower and you're making jokes. Don't you have a soul?" She asked him refusing to believe that he was completely devoid of emotions.

"I lost it in a game of poker with the devil, don't you remember it was the same game that you lost your personality in."

It was possible that with that last remark Hyde had gone to far, Donna was sizing him up and considering how on edge she was it was entirely probably that if she pounced they would both be thrown from the car. She started to growl, low under her breath.

"Donna calm down! Hyde's just being an ass because he's petrified that the love of his life, my sexy goddess is about to die and leave him alone like every other person in his life." Fez told her soothingly reaching forward to stroke her hair. "Ow! You dirty son of a whore!"  
Fez looked down at his mangled hand that now matched Kelso, Hyde was very violent today.

"All of you shut up! We're here."

The engine had barely been cut when the group scrambled out of the car; it was dark around the water tower the only light coming in from the moon, which was only a sliver. The old ladder groaned under their weight as first Kelso and then Fez scrambled up it.

"Jackie! JACKIE!" Donna was screaming trying to catch a glimpse of the petite brunette. The ladder lurched noisily as she and Eric easily scaled it, years of practice. Hyde was last atop the old relic.

"See I told you it was awesome."

Kelso was proudly pointing at the dried words that now decorated a faded pot leaf-baring water tower.

"Yeah dude its genius to leave a name when doing something illegal." Hyde congratulated him as he tested the strength of the thick rope somebody had tied around the safe rail of the water tower.

"Hyde what the hell are you doing?" Eric asked as his best friend vaulted over the side and pulled on the ladder, which frighteningly came off with very little force at all.

"Guys? Jackie's not up here." Donna announced breathlessly, she'd run around the small deck both hoping to find the brunette and to not. "Where's the ladder?"

Eric, Kelso and Fez all pointed down with equal looks of trepidation. The water tower heaved against Hyde as he scrambled quickly down the rope; Jackie's bedroom window had been on the second floor, and trees were for wimps.

"What! How the hell are we supposed to get down? We need to find Jackie!" Donna's voice was approaching hysterical, Eric finally understanding what she meant by his high-pitched anxious voice.

"It's cool, see? Hyde left this rope here." Eric pulled on the rope grimacing at its cold stickiness. "It's a little wet but whatever works huh?"

"Wet?" Donna repeated squatting to grab the rope. "It's soaked in kerosene you idiot!"

"Don't blame me its Hyde's rope!" Eric retorted gesturing to where their friend was standing after safely climbing down.

"HEY DUMBASSES!"

"Oh Eric, that's not Hyde, that's Red." Fez corrected him with a pat on the head. "All that time in Africa made you forget what your father looks like."

Eric just looked at Fez, how had he graduated from high school? Before he could open his mouth and ask his friend this Kelso interrupted him.

"Uh guys? I found Jackie."

Donna choked back a sob, moving quickly to stand where Kelso was her eyes searching out the trees for a flattened body.

"Where? Oh god." She was starting to hyperventilate; maybe that myth about couples turning into each other wasn't all bull. "Where is she Kelso?"

Staring almost straight down Kelso moved her head and pointed. Fez and Eric followed their line of sight and breathed a sigh of relief at the unharmed girl standing in between Brooke and Hyde holding something shiny in her hands.

"Jackie! You're okay!" Fez shouted down. "Oh thank god, I was so scared my beautiful goddess had left me!"

Even from this distance Eric could see her evil smirk, which she shared with Hyde and Red as she stepped forward and joined the former where he was holding the dangling rope.

"Uh guys, I have a not so good feeling about this." Eric murmured taking a step back and flattening himself against the tower. Jackie was smiling up at them, with a quick flick a flame shot out of the shiny object in her hand growing in size as she waved it over the rope.

"Fire!" Three voices shouted, only two in alarm. Donna pulled at the knot securing it to the rail gritting her teeth when it refused to budge. The flame was racing up practically licking her hands as she pulled the last knot free the rope falling back down.

"Good work Donna now how are we going to get down?" Kelso grumbled sitting down in a huff.

***

Hyde watched as Red sprayed the fire with the extinguisher he kept in the garage, the girls also watching form a safe distance. Brooke still looked uneasy when she looked up at the four shadows moving around the water tower only a faint rumble of their conversation making it down.

"That was the most dangerous boneheaded stunt I have ever witnessed." Red snapped throwing the now empty extinguisher at their feet. "And it was worth every second of Kitty's yammering at the garage!"

"Thanks Red. It was all Steven's idea, he figured it had a kind of symmetry to it; they were going to lock us in the basement, now they're stuck up there until someone finds them." Jackie explained leaning forward to hug him giving a good squeeze before he pushed her back.

"Damn kids always with the hugging."

Jackie and Hyde shared a small smile; Red really was a softie, deep down inside. Deep, deep down, like the final layer of the centre of the earth deep.

"Well get a move on, if Kitty's alone with that baby any longer she'll start getting ideas about more grandbabies. If I end up having to adopt a kid from god knows where there will be hell to pay."

"We're right here Jackie, we're not going anywhere." Brooke promised, she was still nervous about leaving four people stranded up there. Jackie smiled at her gratefully.

"Thanks Brooke I know you weren't wild about this idea but don't worry we wont leave them up there for too long. Just till morning." Jackie looked over at Hyde who shrugged. "The afternoon at the latest."

Hyde reached over and squeezed her hand pulling her closer to the tower and near the smouldering remains of the rope now black and charred.

"Hey!" Jackie shouted her hand gripping Hyde's extra tight.

"Just like we talked about remember?" He whispered to her pulling his glasses down so that she could see him wink. Jackie nodded breathing shakily.

"I heard you guys were looking for me."

Donna's head peeked over the edge; the dirty smudges from tears evident even from this distance.

"Jackie, please I am so sor-"

"SHUT UP!" Jackie screeched before she could help herself. "Stop apologizing, it doesn't change anything. It doesn't make the last year go away and it doesn't make me anything other than angry."

This wasn't what they rehearsed but since nothing else ever went according to plan for her why should this?

"You know Eric actually had the right idea when he gave you space, that was all I wanted. But no you couldn't respect that, you were going to lock me in the basement until what? We were all friends again?"

Now they were back on script. Three more heads were peering over the side all with guilty faces.

"I'd expect something like that from the moron twins." She continued her voice projecting loudly from years of cheerleading. "I thought just maybe, just _maybe_ you would respect my wishes but hey you never did before why would you start now?"

Her voice was starting to crack, it was the same old fight again and she was sick of having it.

"You want forgiveness? Fine. I forgive you. I forgive you for everything you've done, for abandoning me, for running away with my boyfriend, for not telling me when Kelso cheated, for not accepting my relationship with Steven, I forgive you Donna."

Hot tears were pooling in her eyes, Hyde's arms encircled her and she took from them comfort and support.

"But don't you get it? It doesn't matter if I forgive you, they're just words, I still remember how it felt, I've tried to forget but **I can't** and as long as I remember I'll always resent you, always be waiting for you stick that knife in my back again."

"Jackie... please." Donna was desperate; it coated every syllable of her plea.

Jackie blinked back her tears and glanced over at Brooke, she was nodding, urging her on. She had to finish this. Steeling herself with a deep breath she looked up her heart constricting at the look of sadness from Fez and Kelso.

"It's too soon, it's still too fresh." She breathed heavily; she was on the home stretch now. " Look I'm not saying it will be forever, just not for now."

Red coughed from the car his headlights shining out into the area casting silhouettes of the young couple.

"And you had to trap us on the water tower to tell us that?" Eric shouted down snarky not even close to describing his tone.

"You guys were going to lock us in the basement!" Hyde countered.

"You would have been down there anyway." Eric argued. "And at least our place was inside."

Hyde shrugged glancing up at the sky.

"Quit being a girl Forman!"

Jackie placed her hand on his arm signalling she was ready to finish what she started. Above them Donna was doing the same to Eric who was sulking. Fez and Kelso seemed to be consoling each other.

"If we promise to leave the devil alone can we come down?"

"Now why would I do that string bean?" Jackie snapped what little patience she had wearing thin.

"You can't leave us out here all night." Fez called out his voice wobbling.

"Yeah there are bed bugs and monsters out here at night." Kelso agreed.

Brooke shook her head her eyes closed. After a minute she looked over at Jackie and nodded before joining Red in the car.

"No there's not." Eric snickered, "Right Donna?"

"I'm in love with an idiot." She muttered in reply. "There's no such thing as monsters."

Red beeped the horn pointing emphatically at his watch, as far as getaway drivers go he left a lot to be desired. At least the horn quietened the idiots on the tower.

"Come on guys, jokes over let us down." Eric asked again. "Please."

"Yeah about that, no." Jackie began. "You see I think you guys could use a night to figure some things out, no distractions, no interruptions."

Letting Hyde pull her, Jackie walked towards the car keeping her eyes on the small group the whole time.

"Oh and Kelso?"

The former model/security guard/police officer leant forward his eyes straining in the dim light.

"Yeah Jackie?"

He sounded hopeful…dumbass.

"Don't jump down, Brooke said she'd tell Vic what really happened to the pool at the playboy mansion if you break your neck. Good night!"

The Toyota took off noisily disappearing into the lights of Point Place, Fez staring at the space it had just occupied.

"Guys? I don't think they're coming back."

Suddenly the noises around them were louder, more threatening. Landing with a thud Donna pulled her knees up to her chest. Figure some things out, it looked like everyone else had, maybe it was time she did too.

***

**BTW I actually looked it up and fire extinguishers were definitely around in the 70s, trying to keep authentic for you guys =D**


	38. Giving Space

**DISCLAIMER: Yeah I still don't own this. The creators don't really respond well to hate mail that tells them how they should have done their jobs during season eight.**

_Ch38…Giving Space…_

***

They could see his teeth, all the way back to his molars with little bits of food stuck in them. Jackie didn't know whether to laugh or be scared, silence was definitely the safest choice of action at this junction especially given Kitty's face, which clearly said she was close to eruption.

"As the only person at this table who didn't wilfully trap me at the top of the water tower will you please pass the syrup mum?"

Red glared at his son tossing his newspaper forcefully to the table. It had been over a week and Eric had yet to lighten up.

"Hey Forman, get over it!" Hyde snapped, his sense of humour over the biting remarks had been non-existent his last nerve having long ago been crushed into nothingness.

"What a great idea Hyde!" Eric replied sarcastically. "Why don't you try telling that to your girlfriend!"

Jackie's tightened her grip on her fork, the four prongs would hurt much more when she jammed it in his eye than the knife would, or maybe it wouldn't either way if he continued she'd find out.

"Eric, shut your mouth before I shut it for you." Red instructed the threat not at all subtle.

"I still have nightmares about Fez and Kelso's stories. I can never watch Gilligan's Island again! They ruined Mrs. Howell for me!"

Jackie and Hyde's chairs had scooted back gradually instinctively knowing that this would be one of those times that Eric's hands would be flying with indignation. Red was alternating between glaring at his son and laughing at his misfortune while Kitty seemed about to cry.

"Well I'll ruin something else for you if you don't quit your whining." Red all but growled slamming the maple syrup in front of Eric who jumped slightly. "Even Tonto quit his yapping after an hour."

"Well that's because Jackie gave him candy when they let us down." Eric argued shooting a glare at  
Jackie who was chewing thoughtfully on her waffles. "And she gave Kelso a new lighter!"

"Do you have a point Eric or are you just talking to hear your own voice again?" Jackie asked not looking up from her breakfast, Hyde smirked hearing the smile in her voice, burning Eric was a definite sign that Jackie was doing much better.

"Devil." Eric muttered jabbing at his food with a murderous glare. "Brainwashed my family to her evil ways."

"You know we can still hear you right?" Hyde asked Eric taking note of Red's flaring nostrils and Kitty's shiny eyes.

"Jackie, Steven beat it." Red said in a steely voice keeping his eyes locked on Eric who had yet to notice his father's thunderous expression.

"Come on Steven we have to meet with Mina later anyway." Jackie said tugging on his hand and heading towards the lounge room the door swinging behind them.

"Its ruined Red everything is ruined!" Kitty all but sobbed throwing her hands up in despair.

"Now look what you've done to your mother."

Eric looked up idly wondering when this had become his fault, oh yeah birth. His plate disappeared the still good food being scraped into the bin by his mother who was resembling the early months they had discovered her menopause, where was that damn dog when you needed it?

"But Jackie's the one-" Eric started to protest, the words dying in his throat when he finally caught his  
father's eye.

"But Jackie nothing!" He yelled. "Do you even remember what brought you home early dumbass? Let me refresh your mind; Jackie was in the hospital and while she there I told her little something I learned in Korea; an eye for an eye. You do what you need so that you can move on." Red smiled slightly. "And that just so happened to include stranding you and the other three degenerates up that damn tower. Be a man and suck it up, it wasn't the first time you got stuck somewhere you didn't want to be and it wont be the last. Half of life is doing stuff you don't want. You think I wanted to be a da-"

"A what Red?" Kitty asked fixing him with an arch of her eyebrow. Red smiled thinly patting Kitty's hand.

"Damn hotel owner with the way those kids come through these doors."

"That's what I thought you were going to say dear." Kitty said giving Red one last look before turning her attention to Eric. "Now what your father means is that Jackie needs our support right now, it wasn't so long ago that she was in the hospital. We have to be careful; the last thing we need is for the poor girl to relapse and end up right back there."

"Jackie's fine, she's back to being the annoying devil we all know and wish would leave. Which should hopefully be soon" Eric argued, sweating slightly under his parent's appalled glares. "She's fine, she's eating and gaining weight and all that stuff."

"I told you not to drink gin when you were pregnant with him." Red said accusingly to Kitty who just shook her head.

"Oh Eric honey you don't know anything do you?" Kitty laughed patting his hand sympathetically. "Just because the girl hasn't been throwing up everything she eats doesn't mean she's cured."

"It doesn't?" Eric asked weakly sinking into his chair a little further; he probably shouldn't have skipped all those student health classes.

"Oh heavens no. This isn't something that just goes away. Jackie will battle this every day of her life." Kitty explained not feeling it was necessary to add that she had learnt this by stealing Jackie's file and not through Jackie herself.

"Are you sure you're not just saying this to make me feel guilty?" Eric accused crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back on his chair. Red sighed inwardly at his son swiftly moving to kick the legs out from under him. Eric hit the ground with a smack his vision slight blurry as Red came to tower over him.

"Did they stuff your food with stupid pills while you were in Africa?" Red barked his voice grating on Eric who could feel a headache blooming. "Jackie's going to be here a good long while and you can either suck it up like a man or you can pack your stuff and get out. That girl needs our help right now, what she doesn't need is some moron berating her every morning over nothing at all."

Eric pulled himself up onto the chair placing his still cold glass of orange juice against his head the cool doing little to soothe his headache, Red's storming out and slamming the sliding door doing even less.

"Why does he care so much anyway?" Eric asked petulantly. Kitty paused her hands in the soapy water a look of amazement on her face.

"Someone's got to." Kitty replied. "Who else is there to worry about you kids?"

Eric was silent as his mum returned to her dishes humming softly while he thought. He wanted to give his mother an answer if for no other reason then to stop this cold pang of remorse he felt. Red was brash and mean but he was there. His mum was embarrassing and loud but again always there. Bob wasn't the most reliable parent, more of a child himself, the Kelso's were almost never around, Fez's parents in another country, who knows where Hyde's were and as far Jackie her dad was in prison and her mum was somewhere and from he'd been told they hadn't been there even when they weren't otherwise indisposed. His own complaints about birthday parties and forced fishing trips with his father sounded petty even to his own ears. The regret curled into him and twisted his stomach. Rising from the table he walked over to his mother and hugged her tightly. Red was right, he was being a dumbass.

***

They had been driving in a companionable silence for the last ten minutes the only noise was the radio playing softly in the background. Jackie had been staring at the blurring scenery her head propped on her knee, fingers tapping out a beat on her foot.

"So are we going to talk about that thing we haven't been talking about now?" Hyde asked keeping his eyes trained on the road. First rule of therapy; speaking is not a sign of weakness. It takes far more strength to admit things aloud than it takes to bottle it inside. Or some crap like that, he didn't exactly believe it but not talking had gotten him and Jackie into more trouble than he cared to repeat so he'd try.

"Mina is expecting us soon." Jackie replied softly pulling on the charm of her necklace moving it up and down the chain.

"And you'd rather have **that** conversation with her present?"

"I guess not, although having a referee would probably be helpful." Jackie joked pulling her knee down so she could turn to face Hyde. "I know you were freaked when I mentioned not having sex for a while."

Hyde's grip on the steering wheel tightened and he glanced at Jackie sideways.

"Well yeah I was surprised but I get it. Jackie you know I would never force you-"

"Oh god no, of course not!" Jackie rushed to interrupt blushing slightly. "That's not what I meant at all!"

"You're just not comfortable with us yet." Hyde said trying to keep the hope that she would disagree out of his tone.

"Well yeah, I know I love you but I still don't trust you. It'll take a while before I trust that you're not just going to run off again. I mean on one hand I know you're not but there's this little voice that keeps telling me that you will. I just can't get it to shut up." Jackie explained wondering if she was making any sense at all. Hyde's heart sank a little, he hated that he had ever made her feel like his parents had made him feel.

"It's fine Jacks, you know this isn't just about sex for me. I can wait as long as you need." Hyde was speaking softly, in that voice he knew she loved because it was reserved just for her. Jackie scooted over and placed her head on his shoulder, his arm wrapping around her instantly.

"I know you will." Reaching up she pecked him tenderly on the corner of his mouth and giggled coquettishly. "Besides you're so sexy it's not like I could resist you for very long."

She was teasing him; it was their demented way of flirting. Hyde smirked at her.

"Oh I plan to make it hard for you to resist."

Jackie smiled devilishly and raised an eyebrow.

"Is that a challenge?" She asked, Hyde gave her a sidelong look.

"Maybe."

"Well two can play at that game and if I recall correctly you lost last time."

Jackie bounced from the car once he pulled it to a stop outside Mina's house. He grabbed onto her wrists and swung her around to face him.

"I did not lose."

Standing on her tiptoes she placed a small kiss on the tip of his nose.

"Yes you did and you better watch out if you don't want to lose this time too."

She sashayed up the walk her jeans fitting snugly now that she filled out even more, he bit down a groan, this was going to be painful but oh so fun.

***

**Happy Australia Day! This is just filler, I felt it was high time that Eric was given the facts and it didn't really fit to have it be explained to anyone else. Tune in next time while the other four basement dwellers have a meeting and Jackie and Hyde start their evil game. Has what Red and Kitty said to Eric gotten through to the twizzler and if so what does that mean? Well I know, and you'll know once you review and inspire me to get the next chapter up! **


	39. Winning Bets

**DISCLAIMER: I wish…**

_Ch39…Winning Bets…_

***

She would never again argue that shopping was not a sport. She'd like to see how long one of those burly football players would last in a shopping mall with Jackie Burkhardt, especially when Jackie was on a mission.

"What do you think of this?"

Brooke assessed the skirt that skimmed Jackie's calves, it was cute and when she twirled it flared upwards, she nodded appreciatively before turning to Betsy for the deciding vote.

"Definitely." Brooke smiled patiently at her daughter who clapped and giggled. "And it's got Betsy's approval too."

Jackie spun around to her goddaughter making a silly face at her. Brooke was amazed at the change in Jackie over the last week; smiling, laughing and on more than one occasion insulting regarding the clothes of several other shoppers.

"Good because I love it, it goes really well with that white puffy top." Jackie agreed disappearing into the change room. Brooke bit back a yawn between her teething baby and Kelso's hysteria the night before she hadn't had much sleep. Betsy had gone back down after her medicine easy enough it was the other sniffling cry baby that had been the challenge only falling asleep after Brooke had assured him several times that Jackie was doing much better; she could have killed Eric for his impromptu information session on the former cheerleader's health.

"Not that I'm not glad to be out of the apartment but is there a reason you just **had** to go shopping today?"

Jackie reappeared her face flushed and arms laden with clothes, her mouth twitched in a slight smile as she headed for the counter.

"Does any girl need a reason to shop?" She replied handing over her money distractedly not meeting Brooke's eyes. Busted. Betsy held her hands out to Jackie letting out a cry.

"Ackie, up!"

Translation: Jackie up. Brooke easily transferred her daughter to Jackie who managed to easily hold the baby and the numerous bags of clothes.

"I thought you and Hyde were taking it slow."

"We are." Jackie snapped back a little defensively, bouncing Betsy in her arms.

"So the subtly sexy clothes aren't designed to drive him mad?" Brooke smirked tossing a raised eyebrow at her friend who gaped at her. Betsy helpfully closed her mouth for her.

"Just because we're taking it slow doesn't mean I have to dress like a nun." Jackie paused considering her words. "Or Donna."

Brooke smiled knowingly pulling her car keys from her purse and unlocking the boot.

"Uh ha, so you didn't buy that pink nail polish and silver toe ring because you know they make him hot?"

Jackie pouted at Betsy as she strapped her into the baby chair thankful Brooke couldn't see her face.

"Do you have to be such a good listener and remember everything?" She complained jamming her seat belt on. Brooke shrugged as she pulled out of their parking space. "Maybe I was thinking of Steven when I bought a few things but that doesn't mean anything."

Brooke bit her lip as the car pulled seamlessly into the traffic of the main street, Jackie fiddling with the radio in an attempt to ignore her.

"Okay Jackie, if that's what you want to believe." Brooke smiled slowing at a red light. "But if I walk in on you and Hyde doing anything that would make Mrs. Forman blush I reserve the right to tease you mercilessly."

"Mrs. Forman blushing if you even say 'sex.' There is no way that's a fair deal." Jackie complained leaving the radio alone when the soothing music of Phil Collins burst through the speakers. "If I tell you the real reason for the clothes will you help me?"

Who would have thought that the repercussions of having unprotected sex in the bathroom of a Molly Hatchett concert would extend far beyond the usual threat of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases? Brooke bit her lip her hands tightening reflexively on the steering wheel.

"That depends. Will I have to console two grown man babies afterwards?" Brooke arched her eyebrow at Jackie who smiled bashfully. "Because that wasn't so fun last time."

"Sorry, but at least you had Betsy to distract them and I sent a couple bags of candy over to cheer them up." Jackie apologized which Brooke waved off easily.

"It's fine, they found some weird deformed twinkie and than they were back to normal." Brooke wrinkled her nose. "I think they froze it cause the kitchen is beginning to really smell."

"Well if you agree to help me you wont have to spend much time in the apartment."

Jackie held her breath hoping that Brooke would take the bait; she was kind of instrumental to helping her win the bet against Steve.

"What's the plan?" Brooke finally asked a sense of good natured defeat colouring her words, Jackie cheered internally not wanting to wake Betsy who had finally started to nap in the back.

"Well I kind of made a bet with Steven that I could resist him longer than he could resist me." Jackie admitted pouting. Brooke giggled lightly looking at Jackie sideways.

"Why would you do that?"

Jackie shrugged looking helplessly out the window.

"I don't know! I thought I could handle it easily enough but this morning when I woke up he'd made breakfast and served it to me in bed. Pancakes and chocolate covered strawberries. He knows how much I love it when he used to cook for me!" Jackie grumbled. "And if he's going to play dirty than so am I!"

"So where do I come in?" Brooke asked slightly confused, it sounded like typical Jackie/Hyde relationship drama to her. It was just another of their twisted long drawn out foreplay games. Jackie smiled hopefully at Brooke making good use of her well practiced puppy dog eyes.

"I need you to keep me in check and make sure I don't just jump him and ruin everything." Brooke couldn't hold back the snort. "It's just for a little while, I'll be fine at night but I just need you there during the day to make sure I don't do anything I'll regret."

Her minivan looked out of place in the Forman driveway which was unusually devoid of the vista cruiser and El Camino. Sighing she turned to Jackie, needing to see her eyes.

"What are you so afraid of Jackie?" Brooke searched her eyes leaning over to grasp her hand. "This isn't just about winning some stupid bet. I know it isn't."

Her mismatched eyed blinked trying not to show the panic that was sure to show. She'd grown to really like Brooke and enjoyed their conversations but she wasn't sure if she could be this open with her. The last friend she'd opened up to like that had burned her pretty bad. Brooke was smiling encouragingly at her rubbing soft circles on her hand. Jackie blinked back tears, Brooke wasn't Donna, and she couldn't keep judging people by past events. Reaching forward she hugged her tightly around the neck allowing her tears to fall.

"I'm afraid that if I let it all go back to how it was; back with Steven, hanging out in the basement." She paused. "Seeing Donna. That it will all be for nothing, like what happened didn't matter. It hurts and I'm not so sure that it wont happen all over again. Steven's being so sweet with me, not that he'd ever admit it to anyone."

Brooke patted Jackie's hair soothing the girl, she could throttle a few people for the way they had messed with the girl's head. Kitty was right, Jackie could definitely put on a good show, make everyone believe that there was nothing more than the clothes and the hair and the make up.

"Do you trust him?"

How was she supposed to answer that, it was a trick question. If she said yes than there should be no problem but if she said no then why would she be with him again in the first place? The double-edged sword, that's what Mr. Forman called it. Even after all that she had been through with Steven, after all she had put him through; that stupid summer after the nurse, leaving for Chicago, pestering him about the future. Somehow everything always came back to them, for the rest of her life every guy would be compared to him; do his eyes make her feel warm, does she fit perfectly on his lap, can he make her smile with just a twitch of his lips? Or bicker with her like he does?

Brooke watched with satisfaction as Jackie stared out the window at the stairs to the basement, a dopey smile crossing her face.

"I think I do." She said softly. "I mean I'm still absolutely terrified but I was terrified the first time we got together too."

"You're meant to be scared Jackie, when I first startled to realise I had feeling for Michael I was sure I had something wrong with me." Brooke admitted with a lopsided smile. "I'm still scared that something's going to happen but I'm dating a Kelso I think it's all just part of the experience."

"Thanks Brooke, you're a really good friend." Jackie hesitated. "And for what it's worth you're really good for Kelso, I don't think you have to worry about him."

Brooke shrugged handing Jackie the last of her bags from the car and shutting the boot.

"I don't think you have to worry either, the way Hyde looks at you. It's the same way Mr. Forman looks at Mrs. Forman when he thinks no one is looking." The car rumbled back to life and Jackie jugged her purchases to her chest. "Besides you're the one who told me that anything other than love is a waste of emotion?"

Jackie smirked good naturedly as Brooke backed out of the driveway carefully.

"THAT WAS ABBA!" She yelled after her waving as she disappeared down the street. She trusted him but ABBA had a point; _Mamma Mia, here I go again, my, my how can I resist ya… I've been broken-hearted, blue since the day we parted._

***

**Just a small update. Come on guys leave me a little tiny review, there is only few chapters left and I need to keep motivated!**


	40. Foolish Games

**DISCLAIMER: No ownage here. I recommend everyone see Valentine's Day starring That 70's Show's own Ashton Kutcher and Topher Grace. It's actually really good and Ashton Kutcher was excellent as a florist =P**

_Ch40… Foolish Games…_

***

"Are you trying to steal my title as stealth master of the group?"

Donna jumped from her hiding place at Eric's amused tone, her expression soured and she fixed a glare on her boyfriend who was entirely too smug for her liking.

"You win one game of capture the flag at summer camp and you never let it go!" Donna muttered.

Eric shrugged modestly stretching his arms out.

"It was a tournament not a game." He defended. "And why are you skulking in the bushes and staring out at the house. You can go hang in the basement you know. Fez and Kelso are in the middle of a very complex game of mousetrap as we speak."

"Aren't most of the pieces missing?" Donna asked her mouth starting to crinkle into a grin.

"Yep, three hours and they are still determined to play and win." Eric replied laughing. "Jackie's not even home trust me it's safe."

Donna's chest tightened at the name of her ex-best friend. Ever since Eric's talk with Red she had been extra cautious in giving Jackie her space, she'd even spoken with Jackie's counsellor about the situation. Space, time, understanding. That was what she had to give her, even if it killed her in the process. Who would have thought that having a midget insult your clothing would be something to miss?

"It's okay I'm real busy here, Dad and Pam are away for another week and I really need to mow the lawn." Donna said in a rush using an excuse at random.

"Well I would offer to do it for you but you know how I am with lawnmowers." Eric apologized; Donna held back the laugh that was clawing at her throat. The last time Eric had wielded a lawnmower Red had almost lost his foot and more than half of Kitty's hydrangeas had been murdered.

"I'm fine you should go referee the guys before Fez starts swearing in his native language and Kelso throws things."

Eric nodded at his girlfriend, he was unsure about this, there was definitely something off about his girl and he really did not want to fight with her; again.

"Seriously Eric I'm fine."

It was like she was reading his mind. And maybe it was because he had never really listened when Jackie had droned on that summer about the difference between what girls say and what they mean that he never noticed what crucial thing. I'm fine really means I'm not fine.

Donna watched with a sigh as his shaggy head disappeared down the stairs and out of sight returning to her crouch and the crumpled pieces of paper that littered the ground. Lucky for Eric when Donna said I'm fine and he believed it she was grateful for his ignorance; this was one of those times when she needed space to sort through things. Maybe Eric was learning after all.

***

She had been surprised when she actually found the clothes in one of the boxes she had stashed in the back of the closet. Even more surprised that they still fit, the leathery smell of the boots had been a comfort that she welcomed. With her hair curled and pin and the light smattering of make up she was the mirror image of her sixteen-year-old self. She idly wondered if he still owned the shirt he had worn, it was likely. Steven was a packrat, a fact he managed to keep well hidden until she had found a rather grubby looking woven bracelet hanging on the edge of a framed picture of the two of them she had put in his room. She had fingered the familiar bracelet trying to remember where she had seen it before. It had been years earlier when she had first started dating Kelso and coming to the basement; she had made everyone friendship bracelets, even Fez. She couldn't even remember now why she had bothered and it had made her stomach flutter when she realized he had kept it even then when he had supposedly hated her.

"You can do this."

Yeah, yeah talking to yourself is the first sign of craziness. Whatever, to Jackie there were far more accurate tests of sanity; if you ever agreed to an idea of Kelsos for instance, that was surely a sign that you were ready to head to the loony bin.

"You can do this."

Her hand gripped the banister so tightly that if it had been Eric his arm would have snapped in two. Once upon a time she had loved this; her grand entrance designed to leave her date feeling tongue-tied and in awe of her beauty. But this time it was she that was nervous, it had all been Mina's idea that they go on an actual date. During the course of their sessions Jackie and Hyde had realized that the only true time they had been on a date had been their ill-fated Veteran's Day fiasco. That was the whole idea behind her outfit; the skin-tight shirt and denim dress she had worn on that day.

She blinked at the flash from Kitty's camera; apparently she felt the need to capture all of this for posterity, she had fake winked and stage whispered to Jackie that they would be showing this to her children one day. Jackie had only managed half a smile. She could tell from the firm line of his mouth that Steven had already been subjected to several photos; Red had a matching expression.

"Oh hell Kitty I think two rolls of film is more than enough!" Red snapped after what seemed like a hundred pictures later, little swirls of light still decorated the edges of her vision.

"You two have fun." Kitty called after them being restrained by Red from following them all the way out to the car. "Steven be a gentleman! And be home before late!"

Steven managed to keep from burning out the driveway and away from the embarrassment. His ears were slightly pink, the only true signal of his embarrassment.

"You'd think she'd never had an excuse to use a camera before." He grumbled sneaking peeks at her from the corner of his eye. Jackie rolled her eyes and brushed at her imaginary lint on her clothes.

"What else was she going to take photos of? Eric and his Star Wars sheets?" Jackie giggled at the image, Eric hugging his sheets or dressed with them fashioned as a toga.

"Touché." His eyes raked over her once more. "Nice outfit."

"What this old thing?" She asked airily gesturing down.

"Old is right." Hyde smirked. "Just missing one thing."

She looked downwards, boots, dress, shirt, hair, jewellery; it was all perfect. She tossed her shoulders back and turned to her boyfriend.

"Oh yeah? And what would that be?"

Hyde grinned at her, he always loved that confused look on her face, when she chewed on her lip and her forehead got that little line in it.

"Later." He promised mentally congratulating himself on giving into Kitty's insistence that he at the least keep a jacket in the car in case he got cold. She hadn't known there was a blanket in the trunk although he wasn't going to tell her that either.

***

**A little tiny update to keep you going till the next chapter which shall be EPIC!**


	41. Past Memories

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own this.**

_Ch41…Past Memories…_

***

It was as near to silent in the basement as it could be with Kelso and Fez around. The board game was packed away once more smashed in between Candyland and Monopoly with Eric's promise he would never bring it out again, instead the three were now engaged in a very concentrated game of jenga. Kelso's tongue was poking out in concentration, small beads of sweat were dotting his brow line and he was pulling the block out ever so slowly.

"Yes!" He cheered after successfully pulling the block away.

"Calm down, it was only the third block." Eric mumbled as Fez took his turn. "I can't believe we're in my basement playing Jenga on a Friday night."

"I don't know what you're complaining about." Fez snapped tossing the block he had just pulled at his skinny friend. "At least you have a woman who could spank you I have to close my eyes and put on a girlie voice and pretend to be someone else."

Eric paused his fingers brushing the block he had selected and shuddered causing the whole tower to collapse.

"Did I really need to know that?" He asked still shaking. "I really feel as though I could have lived my life quite happily never having known that."

"You lose Eric!" Fez cheered happy for once he had won a game without being disqualified for being foreign, actually that only really happened when he played games with Hyde or Jackie- they were sticklers for the rules. "Now if you'll excuse me I must go celebrate my win by visiting the candy store and getting some more whipped cream."

Kelso looked as though he was going to question this, thinking quickly Eric threw his hand across Kelso's mouth effectively muffling his words while waving a half hearted goodbye to his friend.

"Damn it Eric! Now I'll have to stop for twizzlers on the way home!" Kelso complained stomping huffily to the chair opposite Hyde's.

"And you honestly thought that if you asked Fez to buy you candy it would still be there when you got home?"

Sometimes Kelso's lack of sense really amazed him. Betsy was lucky that she took after Brooke; huh even Kelso's genetics were lazy and easily dominated by women.

"Well I don't know Eric and now I guess I wont be able to find out!"

He was sulking, honest to God sulking like he was a kid whose mother refused to give him a penny for a gumball. How had this man ever been trusted with a loaded weapon?

"If you're really that upset we can drive to the Piggly Wiggly and get you some twizzlers." Eric promised, after all that talk he felt the strangest craving for one, or five.

"Can we stop for ice cream on the way?" Kelso asked sticking out his bottom lip in a way that would be cute if he wasn't an overgrown man child.

"Of course not!" Eric cried remembering all too well what had happened to his beloved Vista Cruiser the last time he had allowed the sticky dessert in its confines. Eric nudged his friend towards the basement door his only thought now on twizzlers.

"Brooke would let me get ice cream." Kelso muttered it sullenly crossing his arms and glaring at Eric who was glaring right back at him.

Sometimes he thought Brooke had the patience of a nun, other times he just figured she wasn't as smart as they all thought. At that very moment he was grateful for Brooke, she was going to be listening to Kelso whine about ice cream all night while he was going to snuggle with his girlfriend and hopefully erase Fez's confession from his mind. Well that was as long as Fez wasn't in the closet.

Oh crap, he just added a whole new level of weirdness to that mental image.

***

She wanted to laugh, it had been years and yet here they were sitting side by side her swinging her legs and him playing with the straw in his cup sitting in silence. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, one filled with awkward glances and half opened mouths that closed before any sound could make it out. No, it was companionable, the music in the background playing softly, the crinkling of wrappers and little happy sighs from Jackie as she relished each French fry. He'd watched her closely when she'd eyed the burger with trepidation nibbling at it at first before relaxing and feeling sure enough of herself to devour the thing.

"You cold?" He asked when she shivered her face tilted back staring up at the sky. Jackie giggled lightly and turned back to face him.

"Maybe."

Hyde smirked as he pulled out the leather jacket she'd bought for him long ago to match the boots and belt she'd also bought; tonight he wore all three and the Led Zeppelin buckle. Standing in front of her he placed the jacket around her shoulders pulling it close. He was standing in between her legs, eye level running his hands up her arms.

"Better?"

The jacket smelt like him, well him and leather, which she kind of associated with him anyway. She'd always loved the smell of leather. She nodded slightly grabbing the large drink they were sharing and gulping some down.

"So our date's nearly over. What did you think?"

Jackie grinned at Hyde and pulled off his glasses setting them on her on face before fixing her mouth into a scowl. Putting on a deep voice she mimicked Hyde.

"It was no worse than bowling." Jackie stuck out her tongue at him. "So do these glasses make me look as cool as you?"

"Are you mocking my glasses?" Hyde asked in fake rage making to snatch them, giggling Jackie leaned back out of his way. Hyde leaned forward with her until she was practically lying across the flat bed of the El Camino.

"Never." Jackie promised pulling the glasses off her face. Hyde grasped them in his hand but didn't put them back on. "Steven? What are you doing?"

She barely had time to register his roguish smile before he closed the gap between them and kissed her. Face clasped between his hands, fingers making lazy circles on her temples. Jackie pulled away after only a few seconds and Hyde stifled his groan.

"If you tell me that you didn't feel anything you're walking home." He threatened although it was muffled considering his face was buried in her neck his hot breath tickling her.

"That wasn't what I was going to say." Jackie whispered pulling on his hair gently until she could see his eyes, leaning forward till their lips were almost touching she breathed onto two words. "I win."

Hyde cursed loudly rolling off Jackie and onto his back while the brunette laughed freely.

"You can't resist me! You want to kiss me! You want to date me! You want to touch me! You love me!" Jackie sang as she danced around jumping off the car to spin in circles singing her little song and wiggling her eyebrows, she was doing impressive kicks in that skirt.

Hyde tried not to laugh but it was hard, throw in a cheerleading uniform and this was just like a Christmas not too long ago. Pushing himself off from the car her grabbed onto her wrists and pulled her against him.

"You want to kiss me!" She teased clasping her hands behind his head.

"Shut your pie hole."

"So you don't want to kiss me?" She asked her voice still teasing. Hyde shook his head knowing of only one way to put this to end. He'd shut it for her. She didn't complain and she didn't pull away because she could feel it all the way to her toenails.

It wasn't until later that night when Hyde pulled into the driveway did she start to come back down to earth. Donna's house was pitch black and just the sight of it put a pit in her stomach. Steven clasped her and kissed her knuckles. For the first time in a long while she found herself wishing that the hard rock of anger and hurt that she had nurtured over the past few months would dissolve. She didn't want to be weighed down by her past anymore, any of it.

***

**Hey guys hope you enjoyed this, there is really only one chapter left of this but I don't know if anyone is even interested in the resolution of this story ergo I am teasing you by saying a review is what will make me finish it and post it. Please inspire me, I would hate for my muse to run off without a satisfying ending!**


	42. Mercy May

**DISCLAIMER: It comes to an end I still don't own anything.**

_Ch42…Mercy May…_

***

She hadn't exactly welcomed the voices back with open arms, there was the little evil one who had prevailed over the others for those months she was falling apart, there was the loud, obnoxious one from before everything had gone to hell and now there was this new one who sounded eerily like Mina. All three together had been screaming at her through the night, pretty much from the second she had returned home and found that seemingly innocent white envelope with her name printed on it.

The envelope had stared back at her from the bedside table for approximately five minutes before she thrust it in the drawer. Another five minutes and she held it back in her hands. Sometime later, the exact time lost as she stared more and more at the envelope she finally succumbed to her curiosity and tore it open, a single sheet of paper falling onto her lap.

Steven thought she was suffering some kind of brain tumour, his concern would have been sweet is hadn't insisted on checking her head for bumps ruining her curls. She had grumbled for an hour pulling her hair back into a tight braid, which brushed against her back. Two steps and she would be close enough to knock the tacky doorknocker shaped like a peace sign; she'd hated it when she lived here and she hated it now.

"You don't have to do this you know."

Jackie all but jumped out of her skin whipping around with her fist swinging. Hyde inwardly yelped at the pain of her fist colliding with his face cursing his decision to teach her how to throw a punch after that catfight with Laurie.

"Steven! You almost gave me a heart attack!"

Hyde's eye throbbed. "And you have me a black eye I'd say we're even." Glancing at his reflection in the window he groaned, Jackie's ring had left a star shaped bruise just under his eye; just great. He looked like Ziggy Stardust and that was just a look he could not rock, hell he wasn't even sure Bowie pulled it off.

"What are you doing here? I told you that I wanted to do this alone."

She wasn't all that mad really but arguing with him gave her more time to figure out how exactly to respond to Donna's letter.

"Jackie you've been staring at that door for nearly an hour. You're lucky no one called the cops and reported a lurker."

"I used to live here Steven and the only neighbour nosy enough to do that is Mrs. Forman." Jackie countered with a smirk.

"Damn right they know you used to live here." Steven replied remembering all too well the yelling of Red after he discovered Jackie sleeping in the basement even after she had moved in with Bob. The whole street had been privy to Red's lecture on not letting Jackie sneak out. How he had kept a straight face considering Red's daughter was Laurie still remains one of life's great mysteries.

"That was a long time ago." Jackie whispered trying not to let the sadness show.

"In a galaxy far, far away."

Jackie and Hyde both flinched at the third voice to enter their conversation. Dressed in what Hyde sincerely hoped was Donna's fluffy wardrobe though he somehow knew it was Bob's, Eric leaned against the door jamb and stared at the bickering couple.

"God Eric, eavesdrop much?" Jackie snapped craning her neck to make sure Donna wasn't hiding behind her twig of a boyfriend.

"It's not my fault you two were arguing so loud I could hear it from Donna's room. Lucky for you she sleeps like the dead." Eric glanced over his shoulder. "What are you doing here anyway?"

Jackie's voice abandoned her and she chewed on her lip willing the words to come to her.

"She wants to talk to Donna about that letter you smuggled into the house, you're lucky Red didn't find out. He'd probably strip search you each time you come home if he did." Hyde's eyes took on a wicked glint that his glasses did little to cover. "Hmm, I wonder if he's up yet."

Eric was thankfully too focused on the first part of Hyde's comment to notice the other part.

"You want to talk to Donna?" He asked needing to hear it from the pint size girl. "Not say you want to talk but then really axe murder her or poison her coffee or-"

"Thanks for the tips Eric you've just made me feel **so** much more comfortable about sharing a house with you." Jackie said with a shudder. "And to answer your question no I'm not here to kill Donna, I just need to talk to her about this." She held up the crumpled letter.

"And you thought first thing in the morning was the best time for this?" Eric whistled, Donna was scary in the morning; Jackie was braver than he thought or maybe she was as dumb as he'd first thought. It was a close call.

"Just get her down here." She ordered resisting the urge to snap her fingers instead making shooing gestures. "And try a man's robe next time!" She yelled as he retreated inwards.

"That's not Bob's robe?" Hyde asked in surprise.

"Oh no it is, he stole it off my mum." Jackie replied shuddering once more. "I hope he's washed it. I walked in on them having sex on that thing." Hyde was both grossed out and entertained by that piece of information. "You can tell him that while I talk to Donna if you want. It can be like a signal. I'll twirl my hair and you tell Eric and while Donna chases after her screaming and most likely naked boyfriend after he rips the robe off we can make our getaway."

Hyde wrapped his arms around Jackie pulling her close to him. "Did I ever mention how much I love your diabolical mind?"

Jackie pretended to consider it smiling to herself. "Not in the last few hours."

"Oh ew, lucky I haven't eaten breakfast yet." Eric exclaimed announcing his presence once more, Hyde groaned while Jackie whispered assurances in his ear. Just you wait Forman.

"Hey Jackie."

The voice of Hot Donna was no longer full and confident but rather sullen and croaky like she hadn't really used it in days. Her skin was pale and blotchy the red matching her hair. She sat down on the front stoop waiting for Jackie to join her like she used to while the boys entered the house not even trying to be subtle as they settled at the window the curtains rustling loudly.

"I just need to say this and I really need you to tell me the truth." Jackie began playing with her fingers. "Did you mean it?"

There were other questions, some better worded, others simpler but this was the one that mattered the most.

"Every word." She replied her voice coming out clearly sounding completely to her voice just seconds ago. "I'm not going to apologize again because it wont do any good, it wont change anything."

"It wont." Jackie agreed pulling the letter from her pocket; its words now blotted with tears. "But I don't want to be the kind of person who is bitter."

Donna held onto her breath trying not to let the smallest of hope ignite a spark.

"I don't want to be living my life ten years from now and have regrets." Jackie paused glancing at the window where she knew Steven was watching her. "I forgive you Donna, I do. I get that you made a mistake and I know that you're sorry. I'm not sure I'll ever really forget what happened or how I felt but I don't think I should. To forget the past is to forfeit the future. And I like who I am now."

She could get through this, she could. It was necessary.

"I'm not saying I don't hate what happened cause I really do." She really, really did. But she wasn't angry anymore; she was hurt but even that lessened everyday. "But I realized, I don't hate you Donna. I never did." One last deep breath and she would be finished. "I was upset at how easily you could replace me, how little you thought of my feelings, how little you thought of me. And I think I know why it hurt so much."

"Because I'm a bitch?" Donna asked only half joking.

"No." Jackie answered with a ghost of a smile. "Because you were my family. You were my sister Donna, and I thought that our friendship meant something to you. Meant more to you than some trashy blonde in a trans am." Okay so maybe there was still a little residual anger. "I think I was punishing you because out of all of my family you were the only one who came back, you were the only who showed they cared and were sorry."

She placed her hand on Donna's and squeezed lightly. "Only family can you drive so crazy, look at Eric and Mr. Forman. Most days I think he'd like to throttle him but he loves him. I guess that's just the way it goes huh?"

"I guess." Donna echoed, not really sure what this meant for them. Jackie pulled her hand back and settled it in her lap.

"I'm not ready to trust you like I did." Jackie said avoiding the eyes she could feel on her. All three sets of them. "But I think I'd like to try. We can start small, just hang out in the basement all six of us?"

"Yeah, I'd like that." Donna agreed suppressing the voice inside her head that told her to let loose with a happy dance. Stupid Fezric. (It sounded like a combination of her boyfriend and their foreign friend. She wisely chose never to mention this to either boy.)

Jackie smiled, a real smile pulling on her braid twirling it around her finger absently. It was only seconds later when she heard the impressively girlie scream and felt the barely one hundred pound weight of one Eric Forman falling over her legs did she remember about the signal with Hyde.

The fluffy robe was tossed onto the garden and Eric was scratching at his body, which was now on sure for the whole neighbourhood. Donna cursed under her breath and took off after her boyfriend unwisely grabbing the robe to attempt to wrap him in.

"Betcha somebody calls the cops now." Jackie laughed turning to look at her boyfriend. "Steven?"

Stepping into the house she glanced into the lounge letting out another louder laugh at her boyfriend standing over the phone with what she could only describe as a shit-eating grin.

"Yeah, is this the police department? There's some crazy guy running down Hawker street naked."

The voices in her head faded away and all that was left was her own.

"You're evil."

"You love it."

They didn't deny either claim, why would they?

***

**So is this the end for our fair basement gang? Let me know…or else!**


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